The new project may exclude from the development and construction of new parks – according to the materials of the Polish Wind Energy Association (PWEA) – large areas in Greater Poland, Western Pomerania and Pomerania.
Although the so far most controversial postulate of reducing the distance between the location of wind farms and the nearest buildings seems unquestionable and the distance will be reduced from 700 to 500 m, a new restriction looms on the horizon. The minimum distances of nature protection forms will be updated: national parks – min. 1,500 m (currently the 10 a.m. rule applies), nature reserves – 500 m, Natura 2000 areas created to protect birds and bats – 1,500 m.
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There is a trade-off. The renewable energy obligation will be higher than now, but lower than planned.
A regulation on the level of the obligation to redeem green certificates has been published in the Official Gazette. Instead of the 12% proposed by the Ministry of Climate and Environment, this level will be 8.5% in 2025. It is currently 5%. The obligation to define this obligation several years in advance, which was important for the renewable energy industry, has also been abandoned.
Will the new law inhibit the creation of new wind projects?
– From the point of view of the impact of wind farms on the natural environment, it is extremely important to protect bird and bat species for which EU Member States are obliged to designate protection zones. Protected species include species that are globally threatened and occur exclusively or mainly in Europe, i.e. those for which we are particularly responsible, the ministry explains.
The wind industry stresses that the area of Natura 2000 areas in Poland is approximately 70 thousand square kilometers, i.e. up to 20 percent of the country’s area. Including the area of special protection areas for birds, the so-called bird areas, it constitutes approximately 16 percent of the country’s area (approximately 50 thousand square kilometers), special protection zones (SPZs) of habitats, the so-called habitat areas, amount to approximately 35 thousand square kilometers (approximately 35 thousand square kilometers), including 212 areas of special protection areas (SPCs) intended for the protection of bats, covering approximately 6 percent of the area (more than 20 thousand square kilometers). – In practice, the new regulation will inhibit the creation of new wind projects – says PWEA.
