Poland's Renewable Energy Targets at Risk, Facing Up to 8 Billion Zloty in Penalties
Poland's renewable energy targets for 2020 are at risk, with potential financial penalties of up to 8 billion zloty looming due to a statistical transfer. The country's reliance on fossil fuels persists, despite EU climate goals and the success of other member states in increasing renewable energy shares.
In 2016, Poland's renewable energy capacity stood at 796 MW. However, this figure dropped significantly to just a fifth of that in 2017, indicating a substantial setback. Poland's CO2 emissions per kWh of produced energy remain among the highest in Europe, reflecting its heavy dependence on fossil fuels.
The Law and Justice party (PiS), including former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Energy Minister Michał Kurtyka, has been criticized for favoring coal and energy nationalism. In 2016, a law was passed making renewable energy investments unprofitable, effectively blocking growth in the sector. The transition to a bidding system for renewable energy sources also failed, with only four bids in 2016 and a mere two in 2017. Instead of modernizing the energy sector, a significant portion of revenue from derogation was used to strengthen the coal sector.
Despite Poland's struggle with renewable energy targets, most EU member states have steadily increased their renewable energy share without disrupting local energy markets. Poland's energy supply remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels, with imports of coal from Russia increasing to safeguard its energy system. The country now faces potential financial consequences if it fails to meet its renewable targets by 2020.
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