The energy sector of many European countries, including Poland, has been destabilized in recent months. This is a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine. In this context, it should be emphasized that for many years, intensive works toward decarbonization have been under way due to the fact that Poland obtains energy mainly from coal-fired power plants. Developing the wind energy industry, which presently meets roughly 9–10% of energy needs, is undoubtedly a huge chance to overhaul the Polish energy sector. Unfortunately, there has been a notable stagnation over the past few years, primarily as a result of legal solutions (the 10H rule). As a result, the development of onshore wind energy has been restrained, which means a slowdown in the energy transformation. In July 2022, the Polish government decided to liberalize the so-called wind farm Act, the main goal of which is to unblock investments in wind farms. In this regard, there are several doubts whether the amendment to the regulations will be an impulse to boost the wind energy sector in Poland.
KBN Analysis No. 20 (115) / 2022
27 December 2022
The energy sector of many European countries, including Poland, has been destabilized in recent months. This is a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine. In this context, it should be emphasized that for many years, intensive works toward decarbonization have been under way due to the fact that Poland obtains energy mainly from coal-fired power plants. Developing the wind energy industry, which presently meets roughly 9–10% of energy needs, is undoubtedly a huge chance to overhaul the Polish energy sector. Unfortunately, there has been a notable stagnation over the past few years, primarily as a result of legal solutions (the 10H rule). As a result, the development of onshore wind energy has been restrained, which means a slowdown in the energy transformation. In July 2022, the Polish government decided to liberalize the so-called wind farm Act, the main goal of which is to unblock investments in wind farms. In this regard, there are several doubts whether the amendment to the regulations will be an impulse to boost the wind energy sector in Poland.
Picture credit: istockphoto