Polish cabinet approves liberalization of wind farm rules

A draft law easing rules for building onshore wind farms was approved by the Polish government on Friday, a key step in delivering an election promise to boost renewable energy production.

Paulina Hennig-Kloska

Piotr Podlewski/Polskie Radio

The liberalization of wind permitting rules has the potential to enable the installation of approximately 41 gigawatts of onshore wind capacity by 2040, as stated by the Polish Wind Energy Association. Currently, the country possesses nearly 11 gigawatts of installed wind capacity.

"The Council of Ministers has just adopted, by circulation, the draft law on onshore wind farms," Climate Minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska wrote on social media platform X.

Rada Ministrów przyjęła właśnie w drodze obiegowej projekt ustawy o elektrowniach wiatrowych na lądzie przedłożony przez @MKiS_GOV_PL.

To ważny kroku w dążeniu rządu do obniżenia cen prądu w Polsce. Wprowadzamy rozwiązania, które będą wspierać wytwarzanie energii z odnawialnych…

— Paulina Hennig-Kloska (@hennigkloska) March 21, 2025

In the new rules, which need to be approved by parliament, the distance between planned installations and residential locations has been reduced. However, permits for projects near national parks and protected natural areas remain more restrictive, the Reuters News Agency reported.

In 2024, nearly 30% of Polish electricity was generated from renewable sources.

SOURCE: Reuters, IAR 

(aj)