Polish cabinet approves liberalisation of wind farm rules

The Polish government has approved on Friday draft legislation easing rules to build onshore wind farms, a key step in delivering a 2023 election pledge to boost power production from renewable energy sources.

The new rules, which need to be approved by parliament, cut the distance required between planned installations and residential locations, while keeping permitting more restrictive for projects close to national parks and protected natural areas.  

"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.

The previous government of the Law and Justice party blocked the development of onshore wind for most of its eight years in power, but renewable output has been growing at the expense of coal-fired power which still dominates the mix. 

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

The liberalisation of wind permitting rules creates the potential to install about 41 gigawatts of onshore wind capacity by 2040, according to the Polish Wind Energy Association. The country currently has nearly 11 gigawatts of installed wind capacity.