A people-powered energy revolution—an era in which people can produce their own electricity—is possible, and could happen soon, according to a new report released Monday by the environmental group Friends of the Earth Europe (FOEE).
The report, The Potential of Energy Citizens in the European Union (pdf), finds that over half the residents of the E.U. could be generating their own renewable electricity by 2050. That’s 264 million “energy citizens” meeting 45 percent of the region’s energy demand through a democratized, citizen-owned system that allows people to be the operators of their own utilities—taking power away, in more ways than one, from a market monopolized by large corporations.
“[P]eople have the power to revolutionize Europe’s energy system, reclaiming power from big energy companies, and putting the planet first. We need to enshrine the right for people to produce their own renewable energy in European and national legislation,” said Molly Walsh, FOEE community power campaigner.