Álava announces 300,000 euros for joining energy communities.

The Foral Government Council of Álava has approved the call for grants to finance membership in energy communities by local entities and individuals, with a total allocation of 300,000 euros. The decision, set out in Agreement 551/2026, of 4 August, is published in the Official Gazette of the Historical Territory of Álava (BOTHA) number 91, of 12 August 2026, and leaves the application period open until 15 October.

The call develops the regulatory bases approved by Foral Decree 24/2026, of the Foral Government Council, of 14 July, published in BOTHA number 83, of 22 July. The programme is based on the definition of renewable energy communities set out in Directive (EU) 2018/2001 and on the objectives of Law 7/2022, of 30 June, on Rural Development, which seeks to decentralise energy generation and promote small installations in the Álava countryside.

Beneficiaries and amounts

The following may be beneficiaries: the local councils (concejos) of Álava that group population centres of fewer than 500 inhabitants, and individuals who actually reside in the territory and meet the income thresholds (taxable base for the 2025 tax year) according to the countable members of the household unit:

• 1 member: 18,000 euros.
• 2 members: 19,800 euros.
• 3 members: 21,780 euros.
• 4 members: 23,950 euros.
• 5 members: 26,350 euros.
• 6 members: 29,000 euros.
• 7 or more members: 31,800 euros.

The maximum aid per application will be 5,000 euros for local councils and 2,000 euros for individuals, always subject to the limit of the requested and justified expenditure. Of the total allocation, 200,000 euros are reserved for local entities and 100,000 euros for individuals, although surpluses from one tranche may be used for awards from the other.

Deadlines and application procedure

The application period begins on the day following publication in the BOTHA, that is, 13 August 2026, and will remain open until the budget allocation is exhausted or, failing that, until 15 October 2026 at 23:59 hours. Only one application per address will be considered, and memberships made from 1 January 2026 may be subsidised.

Applications may be submitted:

• Through the procedure enabled on the foral e-office website (https://egoitza.araba.eus), which is mandatory for local councils.
• At the general registry of the Foral Deputation of Álava.
• At the tax offices in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Laguardia and Llodio.
• At the registries provided for in Article 16.4 of Law 39/2015, of 1 October.

Grants will be awarded in order of application submission until the balance is exhausted, the membership must be completed no later than 15 December 2026, and the final supporting account must be submitted before 31 December 2026.

A program against energy poverty

The agreement defines energy poverty as the situation of a household that cannot cover its basic supply needs due to insufficient income, and proposes including people with low incomes in energy communities as a way to combat it. The processing of the files corresponds to the Local Administration and Demographic Challenge Service of the Department of Territorial Balance and Land Planning, and the program appears in the strategic subsidy plan with indicators such as the number of vulnerable families and local entities included.

The call for applications, signed by the General Deputy Ramiro González Vicente and the Foral Deputy Laura Pérez Borinaga, offers vulnerable households and small rural Álava settlements a gateway to the energy transition and savings on their electricity bills. As the subsidies are processed in strict order of entry, speed in submitting applications will be decisive in order not to be left out.

Source: Official Gazette of the Historical Territory of Álava (BOTHA), no. 91, Wednesday, August 12, 2026, section I (Provincial Administration), pp. 1-8 (official reference: 2026-02379, Agreement 551/2026).