On 9 November 2022, the European Commission proposed a temporary emergency regulation on accelerating the deployment of renewable energy. Its main aim is to simplify permit-granting procedures for renewable energy projects, in particular for solar installations, heat pumps, and projects involving the repowering of renewable energy plants.
We welcome the acceleration of the rollout of renewables and consider it one of the main important measures that could help the European Union and its Member States to address the current energy crisis, improve security and reduce energy prices. There are, however, a few recommendations we care to point out ahead of the today’s emergency meeting of European Energy Minister relating to:
- the definition of permit-granting process for renewable energy projects’ (Art. 1) and the defined deployment periods and capacity exceptions (Art. 3) in this context;
- Art. 2 and the overriding public interest, which besides the existing grid should also include its further extension;
- The repowering of renewable energy power plants (Art. 4) and the need for further guidance at national implementation, involving an analysis of each repowering case on an individual basis;
- The risk of critical effects the proposal might cause to the network, if the acceleration of the deployment of heat pumps (Art. 5) is not considering sufficient grid reinforcements, especially in rural areas where effective power is not ensured at all times.
For a detailed assessment and justification of each position read the full document.
