Poland finds it needs renewables, clears the way for their build-out in unconventional ways

Poland has one of the most difficult starting positions among EU countries for transforming its energy sector. After several years in which the government rather created obstacles to the development of renewable energy sources and energy-sector transformation, Polish energy appears to be gradually turning around. At least this is what the government’s latest steps suggest. The main reason for this shift is high costs related to greenhouse gas emissions, which substantially feed into the final price of energy. The Polish government is therefore revising legislation and removing barriers to the development of renewable energy sources.

If one country in the European Union had to be chosen as being probably furthest from low-carbon energy, it would likely be Poland. Even today, approximately 70 % of electricity in Poland is generated from hard coal and lignite. Although this may seem a high figure, the share was 85 % as recently as 2010 and even 95 % in 2000. This decline in coal use is due, among other things, to greater use of renewable energy sources in recent years. In the years ahead, it will mainly be renewables that continue to push down coal’s share in the energy mix.