With the Green Deal, Europe has the ambition to become the first climate neutral continent in the world in 2050. The current energy system, responsible for 75% of the greenhouse gas emissions, faces challenges including dependency on foreign sources and affordability. Furthermore, the energy system is dehumanized, while people play a pivotal role in the energy transition. The communities and stakeholders of South Limburg are in a constant conflict of space with overlapping functions, yet they are fragmented. The project aims to answer the question ‘How can we achieve a coherent South Limburg through an energy community collective?’ by examining the social, spatial-environmental and energy transition, with a focus on the role of young farming community through the strategy. Interviews with farmers revealed that farmers are open to adopting future-proof practices and emphasized the need for long-term policies and profitable business models.
This project looks at a new energy system which aims to be affordable, resilient and renewable and is integrated in the adapted landscape. Through decentralized energy collectives in the region’s stakeholders and communities will be actively involved in the energy production, distribution, storage and consumption. Farmers will transition to diversified practices which integrate the energy production in their business models. The new energy system requires balancing capitalism and individualism with collectivism and connection, prioritizing the common good over constant growth. Success in South Limburg could serve as a model for other energy collectives across the Netherlands and Europe, significantly advancing the goal of climate neutrality.
In the strategy there is a fine balance between the interconnectedness of the interventions in the strategy and the independence of the project. The interventions have to follow each other, and be connected to form an integrated strategy, but at the same time they have to be no-regret decisions that are valuable on their own. Key projects and policies have an immense value standing on their own and are independent from the rest. However, other interventions add more value to these, to strengthen the strategy as a whole. In the first phase, the collective mainly consists of farmers producing, and consuming energy. Over time residents, industry and others will be added to the collective to slowly establish an independent regional energy system.