Generating Change Locally: Energy Communities as a Pillar of Energy Sovereignty and Civil Society in Poland

This article explores the role of energy communities in Poland as a pillar of local energy transition, energy sovereignty, and civil society development. Against the backdrop of EU climate and energy policies—including RED II, RED III, and Electricity Directives—it analyses the legal, institutional, and socio-economic conditions shaping their formation. The study highlights challenges such as regulatory incoherence, infrastructural and cultural legacies, and limited citizen engagement. By reviewing energy transition indices and readiness frameworks, it identifies a research gap: the absence of context-sensitive tools for assessing the maturity and development needs of energy communities, which hampers the design of tailored interventions and policies. To address this, the paper proposes an original conceptual framework for assessing community energy maturity in Poland. The framework bridges the gap between EU strategic goals and local implementation needs, offering a practical foundation for diagnostic tools and policy recommendations adapted to post-socialist contexts.