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Wind Power News: Poland
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Poland adopts limits on where wind farms can be built
Poland has adopted a new law banning construction of wind farms close to dwellings and hiking project costs in a move which the industry says could hobble Poland’s move to renewables and away from coal. Wind farms must be built at a distance from housing of at least 10 times the height of the turbine, or about 1.5 to 2 km, under the law which was adopted by the lower house of parliament on Friday. The new regulations will also . . . Complete story »
Bill threatens Polish wind power, warns industry
Poland’s thriving wind energy industry has warned that it faces bankruptcies, rapid divestment and an end to growth under a bill that threatens executives with prison. The wind power sector in Poland installed the largest amount of turbine capacity in the EU last year after Germany, taking total industry investment to €8bn. Turbines, including those owned by EDF, RWE and Eon, produce about 13 per cent of the country’s electricity. But proposals submitted to parliament by the ultraconservative rightwing administration . . . Complete story »
New law threatens wind power in Poland
"Geothermal energy will definitely be a priority of this government," Environment Minister Jan Szyszko said recently. "In this we see a chance to meet the air quality norms in big urban municipalities," he said. "The situation is completely different with wind farms, which destroy the landscape, are alien to Poland's cultural heritage and harmful to natural reserves." Complete story »
Wind farms now come with the threat of jail
One of Europe’s most promising markets for renewable energy is being threatened by legislation that would impose new fees and potential jail terms for operators of wind farms, an industry lobby group said. Poland’s governing Law and Justice Party is proposing laws that would require new turbines to be situated away from homes, schools and natural reserves at a distance of more than 10-times their height. That would be about 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles), according to data compiled by Bloomberg . . . Complete story »
Bill raises wind farm operation costs in Poland, lifts turbine distance rule
Poland installed 1.27 GW of new turbines in 2015, making it the second largest wind power market in Europe last year, but the start of 2016 brought new challenges for wind investments in the country. A proposal for obligatory permit renewal for new and existing wind farm operators every two years has been submitted in late February by the right-wing Law and Justice Party. The cost of securing new permits from the Office of Technical Inspection will raise markedly the . . . Complete story »
Detailed summary of the Bill on wind turbines investments
The Dentons Energy and Natural Resources Team has prepared a detailed summary of the Bill on wind turbines investments of which you were notified in the Client Alert of 19 February 2016. Please note that as of date this is a preliminary stage of the parliamentary procedure, with no confirmed schedule of further works on the bill. New definitions The Act proposes a definition of a wind turbine, expressly including and identifying its technical elements (i.e. the foundations, tower, rotor . . . Complete story »
New draft law on wind turbines location
Today, 19/02/2016, the Law and Justice Party brought to the Sejm (lower chamber of the Parliament) a project of an Act on wind turbines investments. The breaking points introduced with respect to the wind turbines investments are: New wind turbines may be only located on the basis of a local zoning plan; The minimum distance between the wind turbine and households or buildings of mixed purpose should be equal or higher than ten-times total height of the wind turbine (mast . . . Complete story »
Poland’s ombudsman stands up for the rights of residents living near wind farms
How can we help people who have wind turbines above their homes? Earlier this month Poland’s Commissioner for Human Rights (CHR) addressed this question to three competent Ministers, for the Environment, Infrastructure and Construction, and Health, demanding that the rights of people residing in the vicinity of wind farms be adequately protected. The official website of Poland’s CHR explains (in English) that: The Commissioner’s Office receives more and more letters from citizens complaining about a deterioration of their health due . . . Complete story »
Polish wind farm sector faces uncertainty over new planning rules
Poland is considering a ban on building wind farms close to houses, a move the industry fears may block new investment in renewable energy sources and bolster coal’s role in the economy. Under European Union rules, Poland – which generates most of its electricity from highly polluting coal – has to produce 15 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020 compared to around 12 percent now. Since 2005, installed wind farm capacity has risen from 83 megawatt (MW) . . . Complete story »
German push to expand green power overwhelms neighbors’ defenses
Poland and the Czech Republic are spending $180 million on equipment to protect their systems from German power surges, while Austria is curbing some trading to prevent regional networks from collapsing. On a windy day, the overflow east can exceed the output from four atomic reactors. Germany’s fivefold increase in green energy in the past decade has outpaced investment in power lines to move it across the country. Electricity is looping through Poland and the Czech Republic to reach southern . . . Complete story »
