What is wrong?
Energy systems remain heavily dependent on centralized infrastructure, finite fuels and transmission networks that can be vulnerable to disruption, extreme weather, geopolitical instability and rising demand.
Communities can produce abundant energy while still facing high costs, unreliable service and limited control over how energy is generated, distributed and used.
What is working?
- Solar energy
- Wind energy
- Geothermal energy
- Hydropower
- Battery and long-duration energy storage
- Microgrids
- Community energy systems
- Distributed generation
- Energy efficiency
- Smart and flexible grids
Seven discussion questions
- How resilient is the local energy supply?
- Which energy resources can be produced locally or regionally?
- How can buildings, transportation and industry use less energy while delivering the same or better services?
- How can storage make renewable energy available when it is needed?
- How can microgrids and distributed generation strengthen community resilience?
- How can clean, reliable energy become more accessible and affordable?
- What energy action can participants begin locally?
Session outcome
Develop a simple local energy resilience pathway:
Local need → Available energy resource → Infrastructure gap → Potential partner → First action
This closely reflects the transition already underway. Renewable electricity is expanding rapidly, but current IEA and IRENA assessments emphasize that generation alone is not enough: grids, storage, flexibility, efficiency and distributed energy systems are increasingly essential to reliability and resilience.