Energy Transformation: Two New Entities Added to the List of Citizen Energy Communities Maintained by the President of URE
On December 3, 2025, the Association of Electricity Prosumers of Kraków was added to the list of Citizen Energy Communities (CEC), followed by the “ENERBUD” Housing Cooperative of Jaworzno, on December 12, 2025.
The Association of Electricity Prosumers will focus on electricity consumption and plans to undertake projects aimed at improving efficiency improvement[1]. It will operate in the municipalities of Bielsko-Biała, Jerzmanowice, Kraków, Pruszowice, and Zbrosławice.
The “ENERBUD” Housing Cooperative will also engage in activities related to electricity consumption and intends to implement energy-efficiency improvement projects. The entity will operate in Jaworzno.
Both entities operate within the distribution system operated by Tauron Dystrybucja S.A.
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What Are Citizen Energy Communities?
The legal framework for citizen energy communities was established by the 2023 amendment to the Energy Law. As of August 24, 2024, CECs can apply to be entered on the list maintained by the President of URE, which is mandatory[2].
Citizen energy communities[3] are entities with legal capacity, primarily aimed at providing environmental, economic or social benefits for their members, shareholders, associates and local areas. Their activities are based on voluntary, open participation by member entities.
CECs can engage in activities related to:
- generation, consumption, distribution, supply, trading, aggregation or storage of electricity;
- provision of other services in electricity markets, including system services or flexibility services;
- implementation of energy efficiency improvement projects;
- electric vehicle charging services;
- production, consumption, storage or sale of biogas, agricultural biogas, biomass and agricultural biomass.
Citizen energy communities can operate within the service area of a single DSO. They may take the form of cooperatives, housing cooperatives, farmers’ cooperatives, housing associations, associations (excluding ordinary associations), or partnerships (excluding professional partnerships)[4].
Currently, there are three entities listed as energy communities by the Regulator.
[1] As defined in Article 2(12) of the Energy Law of 20 May 2016.
[2] On the basis of Article 11zn et seq. of the Energy Law Act of 10 April 1997 (Journal of Laws of 2024, item 266, consolidated text as amended).
[3] As provided for in the definition in Article 3(13f) of the aforementioned Act, membership in the community is open exclusively to natural persons, local authorities and micro and small entrepreneurs for whom activities in the energy sector are not their core business.
[4] In accordance with Article 11zi(1) of the aforementioned Act.