PiS: “The government has quietly pushed the rules.” And really?

March 18, 2025 The government adopted the so -called windmill law. The most important of the changes planned in this amendment is the abolition of the 10H principle introduced in 2016 and the introduction of a minimum distance – 500 meters – wind farms from buildings. Just a few hours after the president's meeting, the presidential candidate, supported by Law and Justice, Karol Nawrocki published a 30-second in social media movie. He tells him: “Attention! The government was silently pushed the rules enabling windmills only 500 meters from our housing estates. Contrary to the protests of Poles, and in the way of foreign concerns. Let's stop it! “. Video published on platform x and Instagram. Nawrocki criticized the government's decision to reduce the distance between wind turbines and residential buildings. In his opinion, “the rulers once again disregard Poles' protests and choose the interests of German corporations producing windmills. He calls:” Let's stop it. Not for the implementation of the next stage of green order in Poland. “

PiS politicians – including Jacek Sasin, Adam Andruszkiewicz, Joanna Lichocka, Anna Krupka – Soon on various social platforms they began to comment on Nawrocki's recording and duplicate the message that the “government quietly” adopted some recipes.

Under Nawrocki's entry on platform X, which has almost half a million views, among the comments outraged by the decision of the government of Internet users are the rectification entries – including journalists – that in the case of a draft windmill act, nobody hid anything. For now, it is still only a draft amendment.

On March 6, 2025, the draft windmill act was adopted by the Standing Committee of the Council of Ministers. After this fact, the Minister of the Climate and the Environment Paulina Hennig-Kloska passed the press conference transmitted by the mediathat “a real date for the law to go to the Council of Ministers, i.e. March 18 or 25, that is, there is a chance that it will happen in March.”

Shortly after, on March 14, he appeared at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister agenda Government meetings appointed on March 18 – taking into account the discussion of the draft windmill act. Informed about it Also the media. So there was no secret how and when the bill was proceeded. The public was informed.

In addition, after the government meeting, a press conference was organized by Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, the Minister of National Defense, who presided over the meeting. The head of the Ministry of National Defense also informed that the Council of Ministers became acquainted with the draft amendment to the windmill act and adopted it directionally, official confirmation will take place in circulation until Friday. The deputy prime minister explained that during the work, also at the last stage, there were additional comments, e.g. the General Prosecutor's Office. He added that all ministers would be able to refer “to changes proposed after the final stage of dialogue, consultation.” According to him, the remaining works are “clarifying some elements and directing the project to sitting of the Sejm.” Kosiniak-Kamysz declared that the project “will go to the Sejm before the next meeting”. “This is very important to us,” he emphasized, specifying that he would like the parliament to consider the project “at the next – not tomorrow, but at the next – meeting.”

Referring to the words of Karol Nawrocki about “pushing quietly” the rules, let us remind you: the government's decision does not mean that the law has come into force. The act must go all the legislative path – first the Sejm, then the Senate, and finally the president must sign it. This “quiet” will not be possible.

On March 20, Minister Hennig-Kloska, in “Piasecki's conversation” on TVN24. “Parliamentary works on the windmill act should close before the election,” she announced and added that “the law made many revolutions with a windmill.” And the day later informed on the platform xthat the bill has just been adopted in a circulation mode. On the same day It was sent to the Sejm.

So, both before its meeting, the government reported that it would deal with the windmill act and later reported what decision it made. Earlier, he did not hide that he was working on a draft windmill act.

The first attempt to push through distance requirements for wind farms was made in December 2023. Then the parliamentary project met with a wave of criticism. In the autumn of 2024, the government joined the project.

In September on the pages Government Legislation Center The project was shown and began public consultation. On the website of the ministry was published then announcement regarding the project. Several dozen entities during consultation has submitted over 700 comments. Comments have also been received from seven ministries. All these documents were published on the pages of the Government Legislation Center.

At that time, Fr. the project informed both mediaand government representatives. For example, in November 2024 Minister Hennig-Kloska announcedthat “by the end of the year he can easily reach parliament.” And at the beginning of 2025 in TVP Info said that: “The windmill act is ready – before Christmas it was sent to the Standing Committee of the Council of Ministers. I believe that in a moment we will proceed in parliament.”

In its main part, the draft amendment to the Act on investments in the field of wind farms and some other acts provides for the abolition of the 10h principle introduced in 2016, i.e. a ban on the construction of windmills at a distance of less than 10 times their height (along with the rotor) from residential buildings. The current wording of the provisions is allowed under certain conditions to reduce this distance to 700 m. The amendment is to determine a minimum distance of 500 meters.

In addition, the minimum distance from the turbine from the border of the national park is to be 1500 meters, from specific areas of Natura 2000 – 500 meters. This restriction is to be covered by the neighborhood of Natura 2000 areas created to protect the habitats of bats and birds.

The project introduces flexibility in the placement of wind farms near the highest voltage transmission lines. The current regulations provide for a minimum distance of 3 hours. It is planned to introduce possibilities to create a local spatial development (MPZP) at the stage of creating a local plan for a specific wind investment, the investor could agree with the transmission operator less distance.

The last published modification of the project includes repowering regulations, i.e. modernization of existing wind turbines. The minimum distance of construction of new windmills from national roads, of 1H, which is equal to the maximum height of the rotor blade above the surface was also introduced. At the same time, when issuing a decision on permission to implement a road investment (ZRID), he will order, for compensation, the demolition of wind farms lying closer than 1 hour from the designed national road and prohibits the issuing of building permits in this area.

As for repowering, the project predicts that for modernization of turbines, located on the basis of a decision on building conditions WZ or a local spatial development plan (MPZP), which provides for smaller turbine dimensions than after modernization – it will be necessary to pass a full planning path, completed with the adoption of a new local plan. If the local spatial development plan provides for modernization, there will be no need to change it. On its basis, it will be possible to issue environmental decisions and a building permit if the investment meets a distance condition of 500 meters from housing and 1h from national roads.

It is also expected that windmills will not be able to stand in areas of importance for the army – MCTR aircraft (controlled zone of military airport) and MRT (military aviation route).

Other changes included a proposal to modify the RES Act, enabling renewable energy producers to include electricity produced and sold at negative prices for the purposes of settling the obligation to sell under the auction system.

The project also assumes the introduction of an auction support system for a biomethane installation with a power above 1 MW (megawata). Separate auctions for biomethane installations with electrical installated electric power less than 2 MW and equal or larger 2 MW are to appear. It is also proposed to introduce regulations for the direct biogas gas pipeline, connecting the manufacturer with the recipient. Instead of obtaining the consent of the President of the Energy Regulatory Office, it is to be sufficient to notify the regulator no later than 30 days after the start of sending biogas with direct gas pipeline.