The energy communities and local level of government (municipalities/cities) are best placed to drive the energy transition and decarbonization actions in BiH. The term “energy independent cities” generally refers to a city/municipality that generates a significant portion of the energy it consumes from its own renewable energy sources and therefore it is less dependent on external energy sources. In terms of energy communities, research undoubtedly shows that they are becoming an important driver of the energy transition, that the country’s regulatory framework plays an important role in their prosperous activation and that the community model based on members’ self-consumption dominates. Although energy communities are not primarily profit-oriented, their business model must guarantee shareholders a return on investment through ensuring cheaper energy, sale of surplus energy, self-consumption and reduction of dependence on the distribution network.

This event will focus on presenting the feasibility study A Model for Establishing Energy Independent Municipalities in BiH, which aims to research and showcase how three municipalities in BiH (Konjic, Jablanica and Prozor/Rama) could raise financial and other resources to invest in local solar energy generation and become the first energy independent municipalities in BiH. With the support of the UK, the study was drafted by the two consultants, Professor Vjekoslav Domljan and Dr Džemal Hadžiosmanović from the Centre for Regional Economic Studies. The presentation will be open for all interested participants, with mayors, representatives of ministries and power utility companies from FBiH, regulators, experts, investors and IFIs being the targeted audience. 

The results of this project will be informative and stimulating for the energy sector stakeholders and the wider international community, including for financial institutions, by building the understanding on how establishing a macro energy investment fund and a local (micro) energy investment fund can support the green transformation of BiH as a whole. This study aims to demonstrate how these institutions can support and facilitate BiH transformation towards a more energy efficient society, starting with the support to these three first solar cities in BiH.