On Wednesday 13 December, the European Commission approved a Polish measure in support of renewable energies and a reduction in the levy used to pay for this scheme, in favour of intensive energy users.
The scheme, with a budget of 40 billion zloty or around €9.4 billion, takes the form of tenders to award state financial support to producers of electricity from renewable sources. However, the type of aid will differ depending on the companies' production capacity.
This means that smaller installations, with a maximum output of 500 kW, may benefit from a feed-in tariff. For facilities with a capacity greater than 500 kW, there will be a premium on top of the market electricity price, therefore ensuring that businesses can respond to market fluctuations. Furthermore, the premium is awarded only if the electricity price is lower in the coming years than the price offered in the tendering procedure.
Two tendering procedures have already been held in 2016 and 2017 and several more will be held before 30 June 2021.
This support will be paid for out of a levy on electricity consumers. The Commission has also given its approval to reducing this levy on major consumers of electricity in certain energy-intensive sectors exposed to international competition.
The Commission assessed the measure in light of EU state aid rules, in particular the 2014 guidelines on state aid for environmental protection and energy. Firstly, it noted that the measure encouraged the development of renewable technologies, thereby helping Poland to achieve its climate and environmental targets for 2020. The institution then considered that the scheme would increase the share of renewable electricity without bringing about any significant competition distortion on the single market. It therefore concluded that the measure complied with EU law. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)