The role of community energy in mediating sustainable energy transitions in East and Southern Eastern Africa

Castán Broto, Vanesa; Gebreslassie, Mulualem Gebregiorgis; Bekele, Getachew; Assefa, Amare; Lake, Adugnaw; Habtu, Dawit; Bahta, Solomon T.; Filli Nurhussien, Fana; Gogoda, Chrispin; Hara, Christopher; Howe, Lorraine; Shenga, Carlos; Vallecha, Harshit; Mebrahtu, Akatew Haile

The role of community energy in mediating sustainable energy transitions in East and Southern Eastern Africa

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CASTÁN BROTO, Vanesa, GEBRESLASSIE, Mulualem Gebregiorgis, BEKELE, Getachew, ASSEFA, Amare, LAKE, Adugnaw, HABTU, Dawit, BAHTA, Solomon T., FILLI NURHUSSIEN, Fana, GOGODA, Chrispin, HARA, Christopher, HOWE, Lorraine, SHENGA, Carlos, VALLECHA, Harshit and MEBRAHTU, Akatew Haile (2026). The role of community energy in mediating sustainable energy transitions in East and Southern Eastern Africa. npj Clean Energy, 2 (1): 10. [Article]

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Abstract

Community energy projects, actively governed and managed by community members, play an essential role in advancing just energy transitions, for example, by providing energy in remote areas, facilitating the adoption of renewable technologies, and building resilient electricity networks. However, their adoption remains limited. How does community energy work in practice, and how can it become more widespread? This article presents a study of community energy in three countries: Ethiopia, Malawi, and Mozambique. A multi-methods analysis (project inventories, qualitative interviewing, surveys) suggests that the political economy of development and material challenges, such as financing and supply chains, constrain the expansion of community energy. A survey of community energy beneficiaries demonstrates the tangible benefits these projects bring to disadvantaged communities. Concessional grants that recognise the social value of community energy can facilitate its development and support new energy models for a just energy transition.

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Official URL:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s44406-026-00024-w

Open Access URL:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s44406-026-00024-w...

Open Access Version:

Published version

Additional Information:

** From Springer Nature via Jisc Publications Router ** History: received 24-04-2025; registration 10-03-2026; accepted 10-03-2026; epub 20-05-2026; online 20-05-2026; collection 01-12-2026. ** Licence for this article: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ** Acknowledgements: The research reported in this paper was part of the project Community Energy Systems and Sustainable Energy Transitions in Ethiopia, Malawi and Mozambique (CESET). CESET was funded by a grant from the UK's Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), UK Research and Innovation (Grant number: ES/T006358/1, PI: VCB). The authors wish to acknowledge the contribution of all the co-investigators and partners of the project CESET. Thank you for accompanying the project over the last three years.

Identifiers

Identification Number:

10.1038/s44406-026-00024-w

ORCID for Mulualem Gebregiorgis Gebreslassie: