En-communiting: framing renewable energy communities as territorial asset for environmental and social well-being

Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) are increasingly recognized as key actors in the energy transition, promoting decentralized governance, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability. The article introduces the concept of en-communiting to describe the dynamic social process through which communities coalesce around shared energy practices, fostering collective agency, trust, and participatory governance. Grounded in the eco-welfare paradigm, en-communiting highlights the role of RECs as territorial assets that integrate renewable energy with social well-being. To systematically assess these dynamics, the article shapes a 7-point analytical framework and applies it in a comparative analysis of four case studies across different socio-economic and geographical contexts. The findings reveal that while RECs hold significant potential for fostering energy democracy and community resilience, their actual impact is shaped by structural barriers, governance models, and community engagement dynamics. The conclusion highlights the discrepancy between the envisioned potential of the en-communiting process and its actual capacity to drive transformative change, emphasizing the need for targeted strategies to bridge this gap and strengthen the role of RECs in fostering a just and inclusive energy transition.