site.btaCabinet Approves Changes to Energy from Renewable Sources Act

The Council of Ministers approved a bill amending and supplementing the Energy from Renewable Sources Act. The amendments were developed in order to transpose the requirements of EU Directive 2018/2001 to promote the use of energy from renewable sources (RES).

The bill provides for the Minister of Energy to approve the plans of heating companies for the development of district heating or cooling systems, in case such plans are developed.

The amendments also regulate the requirements regarding determining a national target for the share of RES energy in gross final consumption, the mandatory minimum target for the share of RES energy in final consumption in transport, as well as the targets for the share of RES energy in the electricity sectors energy, heating energy and cooling energy.

Requirements are introduced regarding persons who can produce, consume, store and sell surplus amounts of energy from renewable sources.
The bill envisages to ease the joining procedures for producers of electrical RES energy with a total installed capacity of up to 1 MW, and the terms for carrying out a study and issuing an opinion on the conditions and method of joining have been reduced.

The bill also ensures the implementation of two key reforms from the National Plan for Recovery and Resilience in its the Low Carbon Economy component. The two key reforms include a mechanism for financing projects for energy efficiency and renewable sources together with energy bills, and stimulation of electricity production from RES.