The energy and climate crisis is real, and the big fossil fuel companies are dictating the rules of the game. Global warming and Russia's aggression in Ukraine have accelerated the search for safer, cheaper, and greener energy. One option is energy provided by energy communities. In post-communist countries, however, cooperatives have a distinctly negative connotation. The belief that energy should come from big government agencies or fossil fuel companies has created a perception that energy prices are beyond our control. But is this statement true? We explore this and many other questions in the following report.