Following the 1986 Chernobyl accident, a group of residents of Schönau, a small village in the german Black Forest joined forces, led by Ursula Sladek and formed the association ‘Parents for a Nuclear-Free Future’. What started as an awareness rising movement to stop nuclear energy eventually turned into a far reaching local energy experience. The group first promoted reduction of energy consumption, though as the local energy provider (KWR) refused to back up this initiative, the campaign took another turn. Activities including a nationwide campaign to raise funds, local referendums showing legitimacy, the group later known as ‘the electricity rebels’ became the first German community to buy back their own power grid. Energy would then be locally produced using block heat stations and solar panels. The community created the Elektrizitätswerke Schönau (EWS) in 1999 as German electricity market was liberalized.

The initiative has given birth to a successful green company, which today provides around 30.000 customers. According to Sladek, the EWS can be seen as a political energy organization. This initiative shows that territories do have the possibility to determine on their own the type of energy they want. This needs leadership, political will and organisation.

For further information, please refer to this articles on the Web :

Strom Rebels of Schönau: The Village That Built Their Own Solar Utility

How a small town in the Black Forest opted out of nuclear power

Germany's "Electricity Rebels"

Ursula Sladek, co-founder and managing director, Elektrizitätswerke Schönau

The Web page of the EWS company also offers background information: http://www.ews-schoenau.de/

For English information, click here.