Different notions of community in energy community legislation

This article contributes to the literature an analytical framework for determining and comparing legislative notions of 'energy community'. The framework consists of membership, financial investment, decision-making, activities and benefits as expressions of community. The article further adds a comparison of the notions of community in EU minimum-harmonisation directives and member states' transpositions on energy communities. The analysis produces diverging notions of community. Some notions are contradictory as member states move in opposite directions with respect to corporate influence over energy communities. Other notions move in the same direction but limit to varying degrees the room for energy communities to regulate themselves.