We the Power wants to return power to the people

Documentary by Patagonia supports local energy initiatives

By 2050, the energy supply in the Netherlands must be almost entirely sustainable and CO2-neutral, in order to combat climate change. To achieve these goals, more and more windmills and solar panels are appearing. This leads to resistance from some local residents. This can also be done differently: citizens must be given a greater say in the necessary energy transition and must be able to participate in these kinds of projects. This is what “We the Power” by Patagonia is all about. Today the outdoor clothing brand launches the documentary and campaign with the aim of drawing attention to the growing movement of locally owned energy initiatives and the benefits that this development brings. The film shows the potential of renewable energy in local ownership in the Netherlands and Europe and encourages people to switch to a renewable energy cooperative, invest in it or start their own initiative. 

Locally owned energy is a system of energy generation in which cooperatives generate their own sustainable energy and share the economic profits with the local community. Putting it in the hands of cooperatives removes power from the big energy companies, allowing the transition to happen faster. Generating your own renewable energy is socially innovative and provides economic benefits for cooperatives. This leads to local employment, lower energy bills, a better environment and a strong social society.

Dutch target: 50% locally owned
Is it realistic for the Netherlands to be almost completely C02-neutral and sustainable by 2050? Marjan Minnesma, director of the Urgenda Foundation, is interviewed in the documentary and emphasises that the transition to a sustainable energy supply can even happen faster than we think: “By striving for more local energy projects, we take matters into our own hands and the proceeds flow back into the community. The starting point of stimulating local energy projects is to strive for a reliable, social and affordable energy system. A system without using fossil fuels and without CO2 emissions.” She continues: “Now we must also want to accelerate it to generate more sustainable energy together, especially since a new cabinet is about to be formed.”

The Netherlands has a target that by 2050 as much as 50% of energy generation will be in the hands of energy cooperatives. Currently, our country has 623 energy cooperatives, with nearly 100,000 members or participants in projects. This puts the Netherlands ahead of many other countries in Europe. In addition, the 2019 Climate Agreement stipulates that local residents must participate more in the plans for the necessary energy transition.

Siward Zomer, director of Energie Samen, the national umbrella for sustainable energy initiatives in the Netherlands, says: “Examples of what participation can look like are the windmills of Weert Energie, Zuidenwind, Leudal Energie and Peel en Maas Energie. Thanks to the cooperative approach in South Limburg, there are virtually no objections from the surrounding area.” He continues: “Not only do we need support now for the current projects, this is only the beginning of the energy transition. With the construction of local wind and solar projects, we are also building a large professional network of citizen cooperatives that can use the profits from these projects to take on the rest of the energy transition at the local level.”

We the Power
Currently, one million Europeans are involved in the growing movement of local energy initiatives; as consumers, members, investors or founders. By 2050, more than 260 million citizens could generate about 45 percent of Europe’s electricity with local initiatives.

The 40-minute documentary and campaign We the Power tell the stories of pioneers in locally owned energy, such as that of Dirk Vansintjan, founder and president of the European federation of energy cooperatives REScoop. Other leaders of the movement include Sebastian Sladek, whose parents started EWS Schönau in the 1980s as a direct response to the impending nuclear dangers after the Chernobyl disaster. Agamemnon Otero OBE, founder and director of Repowering London and Energy Garden – which brings resilience and business buy-in to the movement – also appears, as does Nuri Palmada, board member of the Spanish energy community Som Energia.

The film is directed by David Garrett Byars, the award-winning director of the Patagonia documentary Public Trust, which has had 2.5 million views since its September 2020 launch.

The sustainable outdoor brand known for its environmental activism has been making films for years to draw attention to saving nature.  Patagonia supports energy cooperatives by buying power directly from energy projects in Italy, Germany, Ireland and France and invests in Ecostroom’s solar projects and solar panels in Amsterdam.

Beth Thoren, Environmental Action & Initiatives Director, EMEA, Patagonia, commented, “This is a win-win situation, where local renewable energy generation ensures that money goes directly to the local community and it accelerates a cleaner and healthier future for our children. Through our voice and our support of grassroots organizations across Europe and our activities as a responsible company, we at Patagonia are advocating for this energy revolution.”