Skepticism of local governments towards wind farms Another challenge for investors

After many years, the government decided to unlock wind investments by amending the so -called a distance act, which until now blocked the possibility of developing and implementing a policy enabling effective fight with smog, as well as a significant reduction in energy prices for citizens. The amendment is directed to work in parliament and will probably be the subject of discussion, through the proposed corrections and ultimately the president’s decision.

However, this is a good direction that allows you to decide about spatial policy and investment plans for individual local governments. This local governments will be responsible for the implementation of Poland’s energy policy by allowing or resigning from the implementation of RES investments. Regardless of what reducing the emission reduction goals₂ and an increase in the energy mix in favor of renewable energy sources will accept the Polish government, without the participation of local governments, these requirements will remain only promises.

“We are glad that after many years the government has made a bold decision to unlock the potential for the development of wind projects on land, while we begin to have a very big problem with the beliefs of local governments to try to undertake such investment processes. Local governments are becoming more and more skeptical and see no possibility of even the opportunity to start preliminary planning processes allowing for assessment of wind potential in data” – says Krzysztof Ganczarski, a member of the management board of Res Global Investment Sp. z o. o.

In the near future the communes will divide into those who want to implement such investments, and those that do not see such an opportunity due to, among others on a series of emerging myths, but also other investment directions they choose. Is this the direction of expansion of housing and storage buildings or will it remain a strictly agricultural commune? Each municipality decides on its own what investments will be implemented. Unfortunately, at the moment the number of new municipalities that will undertake such preliminary work in spatial policy taking into account wind projects is very low on a national scale.

“Despite the many benefits for municipalities, we meet with very high social resistance caused by, among others, myths and unverified information spread by various environments. This affects the decision -making of municipal authorities and councilors who base their decisions, which is understandable, on social consensus. Therefore, without very intensive educational activities in our society and individual municipalities, policy will not be realized in our society and individual municipalities energy in the direction of reducing CO emissions₂ and reduction of energy costs. Our goal is to conduct bottom -up meetings with the inhabitants of individual municipalities, which do not express their desire to formally start planning work, “explains Krzysztof Ganczarski, a member of the management board of Res Global Investment sp.

It is worth bearing in mind that it will soon be too late to start new wind projects due to the limitations of the connection of such sources to the national power system. Local governments, which in the coming months will not make such attempts, must take into account that neighboring municipalities will use this possibility and thus obtain a lot of benefits and guarantees of many years of development and stable growth.

Expert Krzysztof Ganczarki encourages municipalities to at least try to adopt resolutions to prepare local plans, which does not involve the fact that such a project will be finalized. This will allow investors to carry out very expensive works that will show the potential of a given commune to the development of renewable energy sources. There are plenty of areas where this type of investment can not be implemented objectively, but why should we at least not try and delete local governments that are skeptical?