RWTH Aachen and BTU Cottbus Collaborate on Groundbreaking Citizen-Driven Energy Transition Research

The Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg and RWTH collaborate in the CREATE:ENERGY project, which explores opportunities for local civic energy transitions in rural areas of the Rhenish and Lusatian lignite mining regions.

This project, supported by the Mercator Foundation and the Federal Ministry for the Environment with a funding total of 1.6 million euros over the next three years, aims to bring together researchers and citizens in an innovative approach to citizen science.

At RWTH, Professors Agnes Förster from the Chair of Planning Theory and Urban Development and Stefan Böschen from Chair of Society and Technology, are leading the research efforts. A key objective is to engage citizens in rural municipalities as contributors in the energy transition process. These municipalities will serve as central hubs where meetings, negotiations, and potential implementations of renewable energy projects will occur. By analyzing the collaborative efforts in both the Rhenish and Lusatian mining regions, the project seeks to understand how such collaboration can lead to successful outcomes and build trust among stakeholders in approval processes.

Key components of the CREATE:ENERGY project include enabling citizen participation in the design and negotiation processes of renewable energy initiatives and providing transparency in financial flows associated with these projects. To facilitate this, an app is being developed to support future citizen-led energy transition projects across Germany.

The project will officially commence with a kick-off conference on September 16 and 17, 2024, in the Lusatian lignite mining region.