Organizations: Czechia must raise its renewables share to 33 percent by 2030

The Czech Republic can increase the share of renewable energy sources (RES) in its total consumption from around 18 percent today to as much as 33 percent by 2030. The government should therefore reflect this in its revised National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP). Industry organizations have called on the Ministry of Industry and Trade to do so. The original government draft of the NECP, published last year, envisaged a 30 percent share of renewables, but the EU recommended raising this target.

The National Energy and Climate Plan is intended to define the Czech Republic’s path to a decarbonized and modern energy sector. The ministry is revising its original draft following recommendations from the European Commission, which said the proposed targets were too low. Industry organizations say the previous draft fails to make use of the available potential for renewable energy sources.

„The Czech Republic has significant untapped potential for developing renewable energy sources. We consider the European Commission’s recommendation to raise the green energy target by three percentage points to be relevant,“ the organizations said.

The Alliance for an Emission-Free Future, Hnutí DUHA, the Modern Energy Union, the Solar Association and the Centre for Transport and Energy therefore jointly called on Minister of Industry and Trade Jozef Síkela (STAN) to support raising the Czech target for the share of RES in consumption to 33 percent by 2030. They also urged the government to remove barriers more quickly, saying these are hindering the more efficient construction of renewable energy sources.

„Expanding available renewable energy capacity and ensuring affordable energy prices are essential to maintaining the Czech Republic’s competitiveness in a rapidly changing world. We see raising the targets in the NECP as a key step towards achieving this. Without a higher share of zero-emission sources, major investors will lose interest in the Czech Republic, while the slow decarbonization of the Czech economy will drive up operating costs for existing businesses,“ said Tomáš Buzrla, executive director of the Modern Energy Union.

The original NECP draft envisaged renewables growth being driven mainly by solar and wind power. The plan also confirmed that the Czech Republic would phase out coal burning by 2033. The revised plan is expected to be completed by the summer.

sip snm