Pawan Kumar
After a time of unrestricted expansion of wind power in Poland
After a time of unrestricted expansion of wind power in Poland, the pendulum has now swung in the opposite direction. Now, very few wind turbines are being constructed throughout the country. The melt-in-your-mouth cheesecake sold at Cafe Manufaktura Ciasta and the gentle sea breeze blowing through the village of Cisowo on the Baltic coast would convince visitors that they are in a particularly beautiful part of Poland, were it not for the enormous wind turbine that towers over the cafe just 3 metres (10 feet) from the road. Within a radius of a few hundred metres, a dozen additional wind turbines had been built throughout the seaside terrain, seemingly at random. They belong to two wind farms completed in 2001 and 2013 respectively. It appears that little thought was made to maintaining a safe distance from roadways and homes. The operators of these wind farms, Energia Eco and Enerco, claim to have secured the essential building permissions from the appropriate authorities.
Construction restrictions put on turbines In 2016, Poland’s government, which is governed by the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, approved a law instituting the so-called “10H rule” for all new wind turbine projects in order to stop this type of unregulated wind turbine development. This guideline mandates that the distance between a wind turbine and the next residence or nature preserve must be at least 10 times the height of the turbine. If a wind turbine is 200 metres (656 feet) tall, for instance, it must be at least 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) from the next residence or nature reserve. The law restricts the availability of land for wind turbines. People who dislike the appearance of wind turbines or believe they are unhealthy or even harmful to the environment — whether in Poland or elsewhere in the world — have welcomed these limits.
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But for wind turbine operators and advocates of renewable energy, the 10H rule essentially spells the end of onshore wind power development. Janusz Gajowiecki, president of the Polish Wind Energy Association, stated that due to the law, only 0.28 percent of Poland’s land area is currently available for wind turbine development. Aleksandra Dziadkiewicz of the multidisciplinary Polish think tank Forum Energii stated, “Current regulation prohibits the construction of new wind turbines on nearly all territory.” She continues by stating that any new turbines now under construction are based on permits given prior to the 10H law’s 2016 implementation, or before 2016. She stated, “Yet Poland needs several new wind turbines for the energy transition, and as soon as possible.” A compromise was sought to permit development. Parliament was presented with a proposed modification to the law late in January.
The expectation was that a compromise would benefit wind turbine operators. The proposed modification would reduce the legally mandated distance between wind turbines and homes or natural areas to 500 metres. According to the Polish Wind Energy Association, this would permit the installation of wind turbines on around 7 percent of the country’s land area. However, no consensus was obtained in the legislature.
There are currently discussions to consider a proposed amendment that would establish the required distance at 700 metres. Damian Babka from the renewable energy producer Qair Group stated that the inability to accept the proposed 500-meter limit was a significant setback for wind power providers. His organisation had placed a great deal of faith in the amendment. While a distance of 700 metres may permit the implementation of some projects, it would severely limit the capacity to generate green energy, according to Babka. Last November, residents of the charming town of Cisowo, which has a population of approximately 300, established an organisation that focuses on the consequences of the unregulated development of wind power generation prior to 2016. Since 1998, 8.8% of the population has fled the hamlet, and those who remain have little faith in the authorities’ ability to enforce the law. Negative effects of liberal and flexible regulations In Cisowo, there is tremendous support for the 10H rule, and the villagers praised the Polish government’s stringent enforcement of it.
The community has experienced the negative effects of market liberalisation and the transition to a system with more flexible regulations. Several unlawful tent sites and huts have been constructed close beneath the turbines, for instance. Even though they have a gorgeous view of the ocean, there is no sewage treatment or garbage collection. Nobody in the village knows who constructed what and when.
They are just aware that the campers have not been relocated. The Bienert residence, one of the founding members of the local group, is barely 450 metres from one of the wind turbines. The Bienerts are of the belief that the turbine’s rotors have a negative impact on their well-being and health due to the turbine’s noise and change in lighting. The patriarch of the family, Maciej Bienert, strongly supports the development of renewable energy in Poland. The Bienerts have numerous solar panels on the rooftops of their personal and business properties and sell a substantial amount of solar energy. Bienert stated, “Clear rules are required for it to work in the long run.” “You cannot create these rules without the input of those who will be directly affected by them.” This story was published originally in German.
