The lengthy environmental procedures for investments in wind and solar energy can be shortened to a year at most. All thanks to the efficient implementation of the EU RED III directive into Polish law, the Reform Institute points out in its latest report.

The report titled “Sensible acceleration: recommendations for implementing renewable energy acceleration areas” („Rozsądne przyspieszenie: rekomendacje dla wdrożenia obszarów przyspieszonego rozwoju OZE”), is available for download in Polish.

The acceleration of renewable energy will be possible with the designation of special zones in EU member states, which the RED III Directive defines as Renewable Energy Acceleration Areas RAAs). This new tool willstimulate the development of renewable sources across European Union, helping EU reach its target of covering at least 42.5% of demand with green energy. By comparison, in 2022 only 23% of the EU's energy came from renewables.

Clear naming supports effective communication of special zones

The introduction of RES Acceleration Areas into Polish law under a new name -

Low-Environmental-Risk Areas for Renewable Energy Investments – aims to build social support for a more dynamic development of green energy in Poland.

“This name clearly communicates the nature of these areas. These dedicated zones will not be established in an uncontrolled manner. They will undergo a strategic environmental impact assessment during the designation process. At the same time, RES installations in these areas will only be developed after obtaining a consent from the local community”, explains Rafał Bajczuk, Senior Climate and Energy Policy Analyst at the Reform Institute and the report’s lead author.

“Low-environmental-risk areas will allow RES investments to be concentrated in places best suited for them. Everyone will benefit - the environment, the RES industry, and all of us, as wind and solar energy are currently the safest and cheapest forms of energy”, adds Rafal Bajczuk.

A way to shorten and simplify procedures

Lengthy and complicated investment procedures are one of the main barriers to RES development Poland. Obtaining all the necessary permits to build a wind farm currently takes between five and seven years. For solar farms, this time is shorter but can still stretch to around three years. With the implementation of the RES Acceleration Areas, the time required for obtaining permits (so-called permitting procedure) could be reduced to 12 months. This is the main guideline of the RED III directive concerning special green zones, which presents a real opportunity to shorten the investment time for wind and photovoltaic energy in Poland.

How to do it? The Reform Institute proposes accelerating RES investments by identifying areas with the lowest environmental risk associated with a particular type of RES investment i.e. areas where the risk of negative environmental impact of the investment is minimal.

“The procedures are costly, time-consuming, and ultimately risky since investors are not guaranteed to receive all the required permits. However, it is impossible to effectively solve all the problems of the investment process at once. Therefore, we recommend that the implementation of the RES Acceleration Areas in Poland should focus on simplifying environmental procedures. They can be simplified by selecting areas where the environmental risks related to RES investment are minimal”, indicates Maria Niewitała-Rej, Climate and Energy Policy Analyst at the Reform Institute.

Assuming that in response to the designation of an RES Acceleration Areas in a municipality, its authorities amend the Local Spatial Development Plan (LSDP), and the site is already covered by a strategic environmental assessment, the entire process of obtaining a building permit and environmental decision could be completed within 12 months.

Before starting an investment in a wind or photovoltaic farm, the investor must obtain an environmental decision, an entry of the investment in the local plan and a grid connection decision from the distribution network operator.

The clock is ticking for RAA implementation

According to the RED III directive, Poland must introduce the RES Acceleration Areas by February 2026. The legislative calendar is therefore tight, especially since the legislative proposals have yet to be presented.

“Due to time constraints, the implementation of RES Acceleration Areas into Polish law will be a challenge. On one hand, unclear or poorly communicated proposals could weaken public support for change. On the other hand, we have the opportunity to initiate a broader process of simplifying the complex procedures. Our approach emphasises simplicity and efficiency. We do not want to impose the need to build RES installations within RES Acceleration Areas from the top down, nor to disrupt ongoing spatial planning or grid development reforms. At the same time, the designation of areas characterised by low environmental risk will provide valuable guide for local communities, the RES industry and grid operators when planning new investments,” concludes Aleksander Śniegocki, of the Reform Institute CEO.

The full list of challenges and recommendations related to the implementation process of the areas of accelerated RES development in Poland can be found in the Reform Institute’s report. In addition to the above, it is worth noting:

• Ambitious and transparent implementation ofthe RES Acceleration Areas, including mapping of RES potential and planned capacities in order to achieve the assumed national contribution to the EU 2030 target.

• Increasing employment in key institutions, such as Regional Directorates for Environmental Protection for more effective implementation of the RES Acceleration Areas and reducing permitting timelines.

• Public communication and education of the public to increase social acceptance of RES investments.

The executive summary and the full report „ Sensible acceleration: recommendations for implementing renewable energy acceleration areas” is available in Polish. The report analyses the current practices of RAAs implementation in Europe and provides recommendations for their introduction in Poland.