At the event, with coordinator Xavier Simón in attendance, the “O Rosal Enerxía” Rural Energy Community project was presented.
On Tuesday afternoon, January 21, Xavier Simón, coordinator of EC4RURAL, attended the inauguration of the Energy Office in the municipality of O Rosal (Pontevedra, Galicia). During the event, attendees were introduced to this European project, of which O Rosal is a part.
At the conclusion of the event, Simón presented Mayor Ánxela Fernández Callís with the “Municipality in Energy Transition” plaque, the official distinction granted by EC4RURAL to the 34 Galician and Estonian municipalities participating in the project.
Mayor Ánxela Fernández underscored the significance of this initiative for the local community, emphasizing the Energy Office’s potential to serve as a model for energy transformation in the region. The office aims to advance a more sustainable, inclusive, and environmentally responsible energy framework by encouraging the development of rural energy communities, including the municipality-led project “O Rosal Enerxía,” a nonprofit association established within the EC4RURAL program. The presentation concluded with a Q&A session, providing attendees an opportunity to ask questions about the office’s operations and learn more about the steps for participation.
From Consumers to Prosumers
In her speech, Mayor Fernández emphasized the importance of working collaboratively to achieve a more sustainable and efficient energy management system. This approach aims to encourage the use of clean energy and achieve energy savings, which will also lead to economic benefits for both the municipality and its residents. These measures represent a proactive response to rising energy costs. She stressed “the importance of fostering projects that allow us, as we already do with water, to manage and generate our own energy, always from a collective perspective rather than as individual decisions.” This principle of becoming “prosumers” is closely aligned with EC4RURAL’s objectives.
The new Energy Office is located in the “Centro Social Polivalente” in O Rosal and will operate Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. It can be reached via phone at 677 73 73 21 or by email at oficina@enerxia.eu. Additionally, the office will offer in-person consultations on Thursdays during the same hours, by appointment.