CRETE VALLEY will contribute to the EURegionsTalk session “Energy valleys, human stories: How regional cooperation is building a community-led energy transition“ during the European Week of Regions and Cities 2026, taking place in Brussels on 14 October 2026.
Held under the overarching theme “Strong regions, strong Europe“, the session will showcase how Europe’s energy valleys are becoming living laboratories for innovative solutions and businesses. While technological innovation remains essential, the discussion will focus on a critical lesson shared by regions across Europe: successful energy transitions depend on people, trust and participation.
The session will bring together experiences from five regions, highlighting how local authorities, businesses, citizens and community organisations are working together to overcome barriers and advance community-led energy transitions. Participants will hear how Alkmaar (Netherlands) turned business scepticism into collective action through practical support, how DDS (Belgium) is addressing challenges as opportunities, how Crete (Greece), through the CRETE VALLEY project, uses door-to-door outreach to move beyond monetary incentives towards energy democracy, and how Konin (Poland) is progressing from information-sharing to co-decision-making and shared responsibility in the energy transition.
The session is organised by Vrije Universiteit Brussel, New Energy Coalition, ICLEI Europe and Deep Blue, and will feature Bart Kaas (TNO) as speaker.
Event information
- Session: Energy valleys, human stories: How regional cooperation is building a community-led energy transition
- Format: EURegionsTalk
- Date and time: 14 October 2026, 12:00-12:30 CET
- Venue: Square Brussels, Agora in Exhibition Hall, Mont des Arts, Brussels, Belgium
- Language: English
Learn more about the session and register by September 30.
Cover photo by Tomas Tuma on Unsplash
