COMMUNITY-LED ENERGY SOLUTIONS IN WARTIME UKRAINE: LOCAL RESILIENCE, DECENTRALIZATION, AND LEGAL CHALLENGES

Abstract

The article examines the emergence and development of community-led energy initiatives in Ukraine in the context of a full-scale war and systematic attacks on critical energy infrastructure. Large-scale destruction of electricity generation and transmission facilities, prolonged power outages, and energy shortages have highlighted the need for alternative models for ensuring energy security at the local level. The article analyzes how localized and decentralized energy solutions – including rooftop solar power plants, autonomous power systems for critical social infrastructure facilities, and the creation and operation of “Points of Invincibility” – have become key tools for ensuring energy sustainability, social stability, and community self-sufficiency. Drawing on practical cases from Ukrainian cities and territorial communities, the authors demonstrate how a combination of municipal support, civic mobilization, and the use of hybrid energy technologies contributes to the uninterrupted functioning of basic services during periods of prolonged blackouts. Particular attention is paid to the role of local governments as coordinators of energy initiatives and a “local umbrella” that provides institutional support, financial mediation and strategic planning at the community level. A separate part is devoted to the analysis of the legal and regulatory environment in the field of renewable energy and community energy projects. The article highlights both positive developments in the direction of harmonization of Ukrainian legislation with European standards and existing structural and legal barriers that limit the scaling of such initiatives. In conclusion, it is argued that community-oriented energy practices perform not only the function of a short-term crisis response, but also form the basis for Ukraine’s long-term transition to a decentralized, sustainable and citizen-oriented energy system.