Towards an Energy Community Collective? Exploring Collective Development Among Energy Communities Under Conditions Associated with Acceleration

European policy ambitions and recent legislation have created new opportunities for energy communities (ECs) to expand their role in the energy transition. Such developments are often associated with acceleration processes. As ECs become more established, questions arise as to whether further development can be achieved by initiatives alone or whether it requires stronger forms of collective development. However, ECs often emphasize their local embeddedness. This study examines ECs’ perceived willingness and ability to contribute to collective development by exploring their sense of collectiveness, strategic visions, upscaling ambitions and perceived barriers. Based on interviews with 44 board members of 43 ECs and three intermediary representatives in Groningen, the Netherlands, four types of ECs were identified. Participating ECs differed substantially in their ambitions, orientations and involvement in collective development. Differences in ambitions, local embeddedness, organizational capacity, and future visions appear to complicate collective development and the emergence of a shared strategic vision. The findings indicate multiple pathways through which ECs may respond to conditions associated with acceleration. The study contributes to sustainability transition research by proposing collective development as an extension of network formation and highlighting how differences between ECs may shape their capacity and willingness to contribute to broader societal change.