- Last September, the Powerpoor Conference “To Address Energy from a Social Perspective” was held in Hernani, organized by GoiEner in collaboration with the Hernani City Hall and the Enherkom energy community. Speakers and conference attendees talked about collective initiatives and energy poverty tica.Las conferences received a warm welcome, combining local experiences with those of institutions. An example of this is the fact that almost 100 people have followed the conference in a face-to-face or telematic way.
“Energy is a social issue”
Beginning the conference, the Mayor of Hernani, Xabier Lertxundi, and the secretary of Enherkom, Mikel Tolosa spoke. After dismissing the attendees to the Biteri House of Culture, María Arretxe invited the members of Goiener to the stage.
Under the title “Energy is a Social Issue”, Olatz Azurza, a professor at the UPV/EHU, explained current energy trends and, among other things, explained the causes of price increases and their consequences. Azurza concluded his speech by stressing the need for a collective solution if there is a solution.
In the second speech, Fermin Arruabarrena, a member of Enherkom, and Oier Etxebarria, head of the Renewable Energy Communities of Goiener (CIS), spoke about “energy communities”. Etxebarria explained in detail what an EC is and the reasons behind it, and concluded that it is a useful tool to deal with energy poverty. Meanwhile, Arruabarrena recalled the reasons for the creation of the Hernani energy cooperative and the empowerment of citizens was the key to addressing the energy community.
How can we cope with poverty?
The second day of the conference was held at Iturola Kultur Sorgunea. Garbiñe Olaberria, representative of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, departed from the data of the investigations carried out by the Observatory and presented the measures taken by the Provincial Council to alleviate energy poverty.
Beyond the institutions, María Arretxe de Goiener argued that the collective initiatives of the citizens also have much to say. In his speech, he clarified what the Powerpoor project is, a European project that coordinates the cooperative at state level and that provides citizens and institutions with effective resources to deal with energy poverty.
Then, Mayor Xabier Lertxundi explained the details of the popular project Hernani Burujab, which deals with topics such as energy from a social and community perspective.
The conference ended with the round table “The Energy Offices and the Empowerment of Citizens”. The rapporteurs were David Labeaga (InfoEnergy Point – TEDER), Ainara Lasarte (Oarsoenergia-Oarsoaldea) and Fermin Arruabarrena (Enherkom). All three emphasized the importance of informing and empowering citizens, and to face the situation it is essential to enter and work together.
More information on the project and the days on this website.