Ten years ago, Michel Leclercq—co-founder of Énergie Partagée and Énergies citoyennes en Pays de Vilaine (EPV)—inaugurated France’s first citizen wind farm in Béganne. This groundbreaking project united over 1,000 citizens and local businesses around renewable energy, marking a milestone in the community energy transition.
This honor rightly acknowledges Michel Leclercq’s tireless commitment. His work has inspired many similar projects across France, often supported by Énergie Partagée.
Today, Énergie Partagée continues to promote and support these initiatives nationwide, strengthening citizen involvement in the energy transition. The movement now encompasses nearly 370 citizen-led projects, all certified with the Énergie Partagée Label. Its funding tool, Énergie Partagée Investissement—supported by over 7,500 citizen shareholders—has co-financed 187 projects with €48 million to date.
As Erwan Boumard, Director of Énergie Partagée, notes: “Around 200 jobs in France are now linked to the citizen energy concept,” proving that its impact goes far beyond energy production.