The diary Gazeta Prawna reached the plans of the Ministry of Climate, which prepares fresh regulations concerning the location of wind farms in Poland. The Ministry plans to introduce an additional buffer between part of Natura 2000 sites and national parks and wind farms. This proposal has sparked controversy and the wind energy manufacture is expressing its concern.
The draft regulation is long awaited by the wind industry. As stated in the diary of Legal Newspapers, this task has been pending since the current ruling coalition took power. "After the failure of the effort to deregulation within the framework of the bill freezing energy price, the task is stuck in the Ministry of Climate and Environment", the article states.
Mysterious Content of the Novelization
Despite the appearance of information on the draft in the list of legislative works, the content of the amendment remains a mystery. 1 of the main issues is the protection of the interests of nature in the context of the location of wind farms. The ‘DGP’ reached the Ministry's proposal to introduce a buffer region 500 m wide from the borders of nature reserves and 1.5 km from the borders of national parks. fresh to this buffer is besides the inclusion of Natura 2000 sites that defend birds and bats.
Wind manufacture reaction
The proposed changes sparked a wave of criticism from the wind industry. The Polish Wind Energy Association (PSEW) expressed its concerns that specified regulations could seriously harm the improvement of renewable energy sources (RES) in Poland. The association warns that in practice they may inhibit the formation of fresh wind projects.
According to PWEA, "the imposition on the alleged Natura 2000 bird areas of a minimum distance of 1500 m, combined with a minimum distance from the buildings of 500 m, will block entirely fresh investments in wind energy". The organisation estimates that ‘the government in this form, alternatively of developing RES, will be another bublem’.
Current government and proposed amendments
The current rules require that the wind power station be distant from the national park by at least 10 times the full power station, while that the nature reserve is 500 m away. The proposal of the Ministry of Climate assumes a change of the 10H rule to a fixed distance of 1.5 km from national parks, which in practice would proceed with the current requirements.
Senior lawyer at the ClientEarth Foundation Lawyers for Earth, Wojciech Kukuła, expressed his reservations about the proposed changes. "If the task contains a evidence of 1.5 km from Natura 2000 sites protecting birds and bats, we will make comments in this regard" - he announced in a discussion with the "DGP".
Summary
The proposal of the Ministry of Climate to introduce an additional buffer between Natura 2000 sites and national parks and wind farms raises quite a few controversy. Although the ministry is trying to defend the interests of nature, the wind energy manufacture fears that fresh regulations may hinder the improvement of RES in Poland. Given the importance of RES in the context of climate and energy policy, discussions on this subject will most likely continue, and the proposals of the ministry subject to detailed analysis and public consultation.
Daniel Głogowski
Expert in his field – Publicist, author and social activist. The first articles were published in 1999 for global publishers. For more than 30 years, he has gained his experience through cooperation with the largest editorial offices. In his articles, he seeks to address controversial topics and present first viewpoints that allowed for a deeper knowing of the issues discussed.
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