Episode 123: Local Power, Shared Energy: Building Community Grids on Ameland

Can local communities truly take control of their own energy, and what’s standing in the way?

In this episode of the Two Tokens Podcast, recorded at Bird & Bird during the third regulatory sandbox cohort, host Alex sits down with Meijndert Jansberg (Energy Blocks) and Andries Metz (Amelander Energie Coöperatie) to explore The future of decentralised energy.

Andries shares how the Ameland-based cooperative one of the first in the Netherlands, scaled to over 1,200 customers by funding solar parks through local participation and long-term reinvestment. Meijndert explains how Energy Blocks uses blockchain to open up energy investments, making it possible for individuals to co-invest in energy assets.

The conversation dives into the contrast between bottom-up cooperatives and more scalable, finance-driven platforms, while unpacking concepts like energy sharing, tokenisation, and why access to local kilowatt-hours could matter more than financial returns.

They also tackle the real challenges: regulation, the role of energy retailers, and the need for more professionalisation within cooperatives. With insights from across Europe, this episode offers a clear-eyed view of where decentralised energy stands—and what it will take to make it work.

Participants;
Andries metz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andries-metz/
Meindert Jansberg:https://www.linkedin.com/in/meindertjansberg/
Alex Bausch: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexbausch/

To find more about Amelander Energie Coöperatie: http://www.amelandenergie.nl

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