EU geographical islands as leaders of green energy transition

This paper reviews how European islands are taking the lead in the European Union (EU) Clean Energy Transition by reviewing the lessons learned in the EU Bridge initiative and in a number of EU co-funded projects such as NESOI, RE-EMPOWERED, REACT, IANOS, LOCALRES, MASTERPIECE, SINNOGENES, SMHYLES, STEPWISE, and ISLET. Islands encounter significant difficulties in the management of their energy systems, including strong seasonal variations in energy demand, high operational costs and GHG emissions for energy production, weak energy grids, lack of technical skills, and difficult access to finance. However, they also have positive features that make them ideal laboratories for energy transition, including high potential for renewables, small-scale and strong community structures, and high energy prices, which make most solutions cost-effective. This study concludes that renewable energy solutions coupled with different technologies and leveraging powerful community integration confirm that European islands can drive the decarbonization strategy of the EU.