Workshop on Local Electricity Communities - Energy Policy meets Automation

From 2026, Local Electricity Communities open a new chapter in Switzerland’s electricity market.

They allow households, businesses, producers, and storage operators to share locally produced renewable electricity through the public grid, creating new opportunities for decentralised energy, lower grid costs, and more active participation in the energy transition. But successful Local Electricity Communities do not emerge automatically. They require sound regulation, well-designed incentives, fair and& efficient pricing, and practical implementation tools.

This workshop brings together experts from policy, economics, market design, automation, and industry to discuss how Local Electricity Communities can be designed, and implemented in practice.

Programme

09:30 - 09:45 Introduction

09:45 - 10:30 Policy & Regulation: Dr. Wolfgang Elsenbast (University of Basel & BFE)

10:30 - 10:45 Coffee Break 10:45 - 11:00  Incentives & Pricing: Dr. Nicolas Eschenbaum (Swiss Economics) & Nicolas Greber (Swiss Economics & NCCR Automation)

11:00 - 11:15  Matching & Market Design: Dr. Simon Jantschgi (Zurich Center for Market Design)

11:15- 11:30 Automation & Implementation: Dr. Lukas Ortmann (NCCR Automation)

11:30 - 12:00 Roundtable Discussion