The controversial bill has been coming back since June. We know what the government is up to

We'll most likely get to know the draft windmill bill in June. Legaartis.pl managed to scope the Regulatory Impact Assessment, which shows what will be included in the bill. According to the announcements, windmills will be able to stand half a kilometer from the buildings, but there are also crucial regulations concerning RES in the Act.

New regulations on wind energy

The first task in this word liberalising the setting of wind farms on land was a false start. Reported at the beginning of his word as a complement to a coalition parliamentary task extending the freezing of energy prices by the end of the year, he was lost in the atmosphere of lobbying charges. It was then decided that there would be no shortcut, and the task would be prepared as government and would pass through the full consultation procedure. Although it was originally heard that we might see it in the spring, it turned out that 2 electoral campaigns: self-government and European, do not favour it.

The Climate and Environment hotel is working on a draft law amending the Wind Energy Investment Act and any another legislation. The nonsubjective is to increase the share of renewable sources in gross home energy consumption and to make the energy sector broadly in line with the ambitions of reducing economical emissions and gathering global commitments.

Liberalisation of distance rules

The Regulatory Impact Assessment (OSR) shows that the scope of the Act will be much broader. It will concern not only the liberalisation of regulations on the placing of windmills on land, but besides support for another types of RES, including biogas, hydroelectric plants and changes in the rules on the issuance of power to RES installers.

The most crucial package of rules concerns the simplification of the permitted distance between wind power stations and residential buildings. The bill is yet intended to abolish the 10h principle, i.e. to put specified windmills at a distance of 10 times their height, as well as the breach that the Law and Justice Government did in this principle, giving the chance to shorten the distance to 700 m. The project, as announced, offers a 500-metre distance.

Amendment of the rules on the issuance of allowances for RES installers

According to the authors, changing the distance to 500 m will let the release of 32,500 sq mi for RES installations, which represents an increase of 44% of the eligible area. This gives the anticipation to build a gym with a capacity of 10 GW by 2030, while if we keep the current rules, it would only be 4 GW. The anticipation of doubling presently installed power is opened. The project's authors point out that at a distance of 500 m the sound should not exceed 45 dB, which guarantees that vibrations will not be felt.

Integrated Investment Plan

The Act is intended to introduce the anticipation of utilizing the Integrated Investment Plan to invest in windmills. This is simply a peculiar form of local zoning plan that an investor can apply for by committing to carry out complementary investment. The initiative in this case belongs to the investor, the decision to the self-government. Details of these solutions are to be included in the project.

Virtual prosumers and energy cooperatives

The Act is intended to facilitate the operation of the mechanics to make available at least 10% of the wind power generation capacity to the residents afraid – in the form of a virtual prosumer or energy cooperatives. This may be the case, for example, for block residents in housing cooperatives. Records about a virtual prosumer – a RES user who does not have the ability to install at home, but would like to usage 1 that is in another place – are already there, but inactive have not entered into force. This was to happen from July 2024, but late the ministry began to communicate that it could be moved to 2025. The reason is the hold in launching the Central Energy marketplace Information System.

Energy retention solutions

The next solution is to address RES installation with energy storage. The fresh rules are intended to supply that the installed capacity of the warehouse must not exceed 2.2-fold the installed capacity of the micro-installation, and that the full power introduced into the distribution network by the micro-installation with the electrical retention of the electricity must be little than the installed electrical capacity of the micro-installation.

The current solution is that, in general, the capacity of installed retention facilities does not exceed the capacity of the installation, and its increase may aid relieve the network. The surplus electricity from micro-installations could be stored alternatively than put into the electricity grid during highest periods of electricity supply.

Support for biogas and hydroelectric plants

The Act besides provides for a number of provisions concerning the production of electricity from biogas. The Renewable Energy Settlement Operator (OREO) will be given the chance to verify whether electricity generators, heat from agricultural biogas or agricultural biogas producers are in the records of the Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture. The introduction of the definition of "direct biogas pipeline" is intended to facilitate the expansion of specified infrastructure from production sites to energy or heat generators, helping to make the local biogas market. The list of specified installations shall be kept by the president of the ERO.

Facilitation of water power plants

The fresh law is besides intended to make it easier for water power plants to usage the support strategy for modernised installations. It is now a condition for the power plant to increase after modernisation. In the case of hydropower plants, this may be difficult, which is why it will suffice if the power is maintained as a consequence of modernisation. Today, the power of hydroelectric plants in the National Power strategy is 2.5 GW.

Restructuring requirements for RES installers

The Act will introduce more restrictive requirements for issuing certificates for RES installers. The certificate will only be obtained by examination after courses in accredited training centres. Currently, it can be awarded on the basis of a degree of survey in renewable energy, sanitary, power, electricity, heating, cooling, heat and air conditioning installations or electrical installations. The change results from information from the method Supervision Authority, which is the organiser of the examinations.

Summary

The bill will besides include a number of provisions concerning, inter alia, the change in the expression for calculating the share of investment in RES in eligible costs in favour of investors and the introduction of support for biomethane in installations above 1 MW. Despite controversy, the Act aims at importantly expanding the share of renewable energy sources in the Polish energy mix, which is crucial to gathering national and global climate commitments.

The introduction of these provisions may give a crucial boost to

renewable energy sector in Poland, releasing the possible of wind, solar, biogas and hydroelectric power. However, like any legislative amendment, this will require cooperation between the government, investors and local communities in order to accomplish the objectives in a sustainable and socially acceptable way.