Ursula Sladek

Ursula Sladek is a German environmental activist and co-founder of Schönau Power Supply (Elektrizitätswerke Schönau or EWS), a community-owned energy cooperative based in Schönau im Schwarzwald, Germany. Following the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, Sladek, a mother of five, became deeply concerned about the safety of nuclear power and the environmental impacts of fossil fuels.

Motivated by a desire for a sustainable and nuclear-free energy future, Sladek and other parents formed a citizens' initiative to take control of the local electricity grid. After a lengthy and arduous campaign that included door-to-door canvassing, petitioning, and fundraising, they successfully purchased the grid from the incumbent energy provider in 1997.

Under Sladek's leadership, EWS transformed Schönau's energy supply by investing in renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower. The company also provides electricity to customers throughout Germany, advocating for decentralized energy production and citizen participation in the energy transition.

Sladek's work has been widely recognized, earning her numerous awards, including the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2011. She continues to be a prominent voice in the German and international energy debate, championing a transition to a sustainable and democratic energy system.