In the second episode of our two-part podcast series on corporate capture and true democracy in energy communities, guests Jean-Pierre van Linn and Siwart Zomer from Energiesamen, members of REScoop, discuss their organisation’s role and challenges with the topic.

Energiesamen is a Dutch federation representing around 700 energy cooperatives. Its primary functions are lobbying on a national level, providing financial access, and delivering IT and educational services to its members. They emphasise the importance of democratic governance within energy communities to prevent corporate capture—where private entities might exploit community resources.

One of the lobbying efforts by Energiesamen focuses on embedding the concept of democracy within the legal definition of energy communities.