Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) are becoming an increasingly central player in Italy’s energy landscape. These initiatives, based on collaboration among citizens, businesses, and institutions, make it possible to produce, share, and consume clean energy at the local level. This is not just an ecological shift, but a model aimed at generating economic, social, and environmental value.
A New Approach to the Energy Transition
In today’s context, marked by climate crisis and rising energy costs, RECs represent a concrete and sustainable alternative. By producing energy from renewable sources such as solar or wind, these communities help decarbonize local areas and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. But their impact goes far beyond the environment.
RECs strengthen the social fabric by encouraging active citizen participation, turning them into “prosumers” — both producers and conscious consumers of energy. This approach fosters inclusion, collective responsibility, and a shared vision of local development.
Shared Energy: Value for Businesses
On May 27, 2025, the event “Shared Energy, Value for Businesses” was held at the headquarters of Walter Tosto S.p.A. in Chieti Scalo. The initiative was promoted by Confimi Industria Abruzzo, in partnership with the Municipality of Pescara and the Pescara REC. It brought together institutions, companies, and startups to explore the opportunities offered by Renewable Energy Communities and their importance for business competitiveness.
During the event, the Local Green Deal model developed by the Municipality of Pescara within the framework of the European Intelligent Cities Challenge program was presented as an example of public-private governance in the energy transition.
Giovanni Caruso, engineer at Pescara Energia, illustrated the economic and environmental benefits of the Pescara REC and explained how businesses can get involved.
A survey by Confimi was also presented, analyzing the level of awareness and interest among local SMEs regarding RECs. A key moment of the event was the story of the collaboration between Walter Tosto S.p.A. and the Municipality of Pescara, shared by Marzia Mazzoni, Sustainability Manager of the company.
The final roundtable, moderated by Prof. Gilda Antonelli, featured energy sector experts, including representatives of TreeBlock, Apio, and the president of the Pescara REC. The discussion highlighted strategies and tools for businesses to join shared energy models in a concrete and beneficial way.
The event showcased the potential of RECs as a strategic lever for sustainable and competitive development, based on cooperation between the public sector, private enterprises, and technological innovation.
Digital Innovation for Communities
In a context where the energy transition also demands efficiency and analytical capacity, technology can make the difference. This is the direction taken by TreeBlock with its digital platform TreeBlock One, designed to support communities and businesses in activating and managing RECs.
The platform uses satellite, cadastral, and primary substation data to identify abandoned areas, assess their energy potential, and map local opportunities. It’s a concrete tool for planning and transparency — including from an ESG perspective — enabling the monitoring of reliable environmental metrics and facilitating emissions reporting.
Thanks to its interoperable and predictive structure, TreeBlock One allows energy communities to start from solid foundations, speeding up implementation times and ensuring model scalability.
Toward a Sustainable and Replicable Model
RECs are no longer a distant vision, but a growing reality capable of combining environmental, economic, and social interests. The key to their success lies in synergy among public actors, private companies, and technological innovation.
Initiatives like the one in Pescara show that — with the right tools and alliances — building a more equitable and shared energy future is not only possible, but already underway.