The first edition of the U2Demo newsletter marks a key milestone in this Horizon Europe project, celebrating its first year of progress. It highlights the launch of the project website and social media channels, the development of open-source platforms for peer-to-peer energy sharing, and progress across all eight Work Packages. Updates include in-depth looks at the four diverse pilot sites in the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, and Portugal, as well as recent research contributions and event highlights from ENLIT Europe and the BRIDGE General Assembly. The issue also celebrates the Otterbeek Project’s EU Award for Local Energy Action and announces an upcoming webinar on legal frameworks for energy communities.