Canada–Estonia partnership advances community-centered clean energy
University of Victoria
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From left: Sulev Alajõe, Taavi Liivandi, Omar Jõpiselg, Cecilia Jaques, Curran Crawford, Üllar Laid and Ryan Osterberg were photographed in Hiiumaa, Estonia, for the initial ACET/EISEA meeting.
view moreCredit: EISEA
A new international partnership between institutes in Canada and Estonia is accelerating community-based clean energy transformation in the European Union, with benefits for island communities abroad and across Canada.
The ACET–Estonian Islands Community Energy Partnership unites the University of Victoria (UVic)-led Accelerating Community Energy Transformation (ACET) initiative with the Estonian Islands Energy Agency (EISEA) to co-design and deliver applied clean energy research that responds directly to local priorities.
By combining ACET’s research expertise with EISEA’s on-the-ground knowledge of island communities, the partnership will foster innovative clean energy solutions, enhance local capacity and create replicable approaches to community-centred energy systems on Estonian islands.
For Canadians, the work offers valuable lessons from an advanced industrial democracy facing similar energy, climate and affordability challenges—while also mobilizing Canadian expertise to support like-minded international partners.
“This partnership highlights the value of international collaboration for accelerating community-centred clean energy solutions,” says Curran Crawford, executive director of ACET. “By bringing together Canadian research leadership and Estonian innovation and expertise, we are creating practical models that strengthen local energy independence while delivering lessons that can be scaled for communities around the world.”
In addition to regular academic exchanges between UVic and universities in Estonia, three priority research projects will begin in early 2026.
The first focuses on biogas and the circular economy on Saaremaa, examining how local organic waste can be transformed into energy that can be integrated into the island’s district heating network. The project will assess economic opportunities and help EISEA prepare for upcoming European Union biogas regulations.
A second study will examine the social impacts of large-scale renewable energy development on island communities, exploring how local values and beliefs shape responses to clean energy projects. The goal is to develop tools that support transparent, fair and community-aligned energy planning.
The third project will examine energy communities and local energy independence on Hiiumaa, following a pilot initiative that links sustainable energy production, distribution and transportation. Canadian experience with energy cooperatives will inform the work, producing insights relevant to both countries.
Across all projects, community engagement will be respectful, reciprocal and responsive to local governance, knowledge and lived experience. Research will be co-designed, coordinated with Estonian academic partners, and focused on outcomes that inform local, provincial, national and European-level policy.
“The Estonian islands require a fundamental energy transition supported by robust, evidence-based decisions to ensure local energy production that reflects community expectations. These studies will enable us to evaluate projects holistically and guide investments toward sustainable, long-term benefits,” says Sulev Alajõe, director, Estonian Islands Energy Agency.
Research undertaken through this partnership is funded in part by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, through the ACET initiative.
Additional projects will be announced later this year.
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