Polish renewables at historic high, but wind farms face obstacles

The Polish governmentannounced the achievement of historic milestones for the energy sector.  The share of renewable energy sources (RES) in total installed capacity rose to one half for the first time in history. In addition, it exceeded 30% of electricity generation. However, the development of wind farm construction is being slowed by legislative and infrastructure barriers.

Last year, Polish coal-fired sources accounted for more than 50 %  of total electricity generation. Although Poland therefore still ranks first among European Union member states in terms of the share of coal in its power mix, the country is continuing the intensive transformation of its energy sector.

In addition to the planned construction of its first nuclear power plant, Poland is investing heavily in renewable energy sources. The government supports the development of solar power plants through direct subsidies for household installations, while in the wind power sector Poland is focusing not only on onshore projects but also on the construction of several wind farms in the Baltic Sea.

Historic milestones for renewables in 2025

Over the past five years, the development of renewables in Poland has accelerated significantly. According to data from the Energy Market Agency, installed renewable capacity stood at 12.5 GW in 2020, or 24 % of the total. By the end of 2025, this figure had more than tripled to 37.8 GW, representing half of the country’s total installed capacity. Solar power plants recorded the largest increase, with installed capacity rising from 3.9 GW to 24.8 GW. 

The growth in installed capacity was also reflected in the structure of the power mix. While renewables generated 28 TWh in 2020, this had doubled by 2025. Almost every third kilowatt-hour generated in Poland therefore came from renewable sources. The share of renewables in the power mix rose from 17.8 % in 2020 to 31.4 % in 2025.

Challenges for further development

In terms of barriers to further renewable development, Poland has shortcomings in the conditions for wind farm construction. In October last year, the Supreme Audit Office welcomed steps by the current Polish government towards easing the rules to accelerate development after years of stagnation. These include relaxing rules on the distance between wind turbines and residential buildings and adopting an amendment to the law removing investment barriers. 

However, it also highlighted several shortcomings, notably a delay of more than three years in transposing the EU renewable energy directives (RED II and RED III) into Polish law, which is slowing the implementation of wind power projects. It also pointed out that the Ministry of Climate and Environment has yet to establish simple mechanisms for resolving disputes and appeals. Nor has it sufficiently surveyed the most suitable locations for the construction of further installations. According to the office, this threatens compliance with deadlines set out in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and EU directives.