Powering Energy Resilience in Rural Areas

Published: 01.07.2025

On 1 July, the FREE Initiative had the pleasure of hosting its second event as part of the Rural Areas Dialogue series, titled “Powering Energy Resilience in Rural Areas.”

The debate brought together diverse stakeholders to address the urgent energy challenges facing rural communities and to explore sustainable, inclusive solutions.

The discussion panel featured policymakers from the European Commission, industry leaders, representatives of youth organisations, and national agencies, who exchanged perspectives on how to accelerate the clean energy transition while ensuring no community is left behind.

We had the pleasure to engage in a meaningful discussion with a high-level panel:

• Agnese Dagile, Cabinet member of Commissioner Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms, European Commission
• Simona De Iuliis, Head of Strategic Technical Support Unit of Energy Technologies and Renewable Sources Department, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA)
• Giuseppe Fiorino, CEO, Liquigas
• Anja Fortuna, Programme Manager, Rural Youth Europe

A few key takeaways from today’s discussions:

• Collaboration is key: Addressing rural energy challenges requires strong partnerships between policymakers, businesses, local authorities, and civil society.
• Simplification: Administrative burdens continue to slow down investments in the energy transition of rural areas. Clearer processes and one-stop-shops can help communities and businesses move faster.
• Empowering the youth: Engaging citizens, especially the younger generations, is critical. Young people often face the highest levels of energy poverty and should have a voice in shaping policies and projects that affect their future.
• Technological neutrality: Rural areas differ widely across the EU and within Member States. As such, they require different mixes of energy solutions. A technology-neutral approach will and should allow local actors to choose the most suitable options to achieve the EU’s decarbonisation goals.
• Best practices: Finally, continuous exchange of best practices, challenges, and success stories between stakeholders is essential to accelerate progress and avoid repeating mistakes.

We look forward to continuing this conversation and working together to empower rural communities across Europe. The FREE Initiative will host the third, and final, event of the year in November. Stay tuned for more information!

The FREE Initiative Secretariat