Elimination of barriers for onshore wind energy is one of the milestones for National Recovery Plan. The milestones are commitments of the Polish government that have to be fulfilled to unblock the EU funds. The game is about some PLN 160 billion to be allocated to economic recovery following the pandemic, including the energy sector. Therefore, the Sejm should amend the so-called Distance Act and unblock new onshore wind farm projects as soon as possible.

Record-breaking inflation, weak currency and budget deficit are key challenges currently faced by Poland. Both the government and the community are aware that the budget situation of the country in the next years may be difficult at least, and the vision of a crisis and unstoppable prices becomes increasingly real.

The seriousness of the situation is emphasized by the fact that the Council of Ministers is introducing a savings package which, in the era of inflation and energy crisis, is to leave the state budget with several billion PLN unspent. As a consequence, almost all ministries were obliged to reduce spending by 5%. It seems that in the current situation the EU funds under the NRP would save the state’s finance.

However, the government is trying to renounce reality and minimise the role of EU funds in the Poland’s budget. The act unblocking wind power development — one of NRP milestones — has been submitted by the government to the Sejm and remains “frozen” in the Sejm since July.

“It is incomprehensible action to the detriment of the state and its citizens. Unblocking wind energy means independence from external energy sources and contributes to our security. Today, Poland and its citizens simply need the money. We have to do everything to receive the funds as soon as possible. This is a strategic decision — the Act is frozen in the Sejm. All we need is to give it a Sejm paper number and commence discussion. With today’s political and public support we are not concerned with majority in the Sejm — all parties want to unblock onshore wind,” argues Janusz Gajowiecki, President of the Polish Wind Energy Association.

Unblocking onshore wind is a strategic decision also in the face of extraordinarily high electricity prices — wind is the least expensive source of electricity that may bring the fastest reduction in electricity bills for Polish families and decrease Poland’s dependence on imported coal or gas.

Maintenance of the 10 H rule is incomprehensible given the vast public support for such changes — today, no technology enjoys such a high support in Poland as RES. At the peak of a crisis related to coal shortage and skyrocketing electricity prices more than 80 percent Polish citizens want urgent adoption of an act liberalising wind farm development.

“Unleashing the full potential of onshore wind is the only way to avoid blackouts and stop rapidly increasing electricity prices. Given the alarming smog levels, this is also a rescue for health and life of Polish citizens. We need wind turbines as soon as possible — and the only way is to decrease minimum distance to 500 metres. The government must be aware that without inexpensive electricity from renewable sources and EU funds from NRP the Polish economy is exposed to collapse,” added Janusz Gajowiecki, President of the Polish Wind Energy Association.

The 10 H rule, effective since 2016, means that the distance between wind turbines and buildings must be equal to at least tenfold the turbine height. In accordance with analyses prepared by Instrat, the act excluded 99.7% of the country’s area from onshore wind investments, bringing the rapidly growing industry to a halt. The 10 H rule imposed a minimum distance of approximately 2,000 metres between turbines and buildings — four times the 500 metres adopted in most European countries.