There will be no expropriation for wind farms; there is no question of a scandal – said PSL President Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, referring to the criticism of PiS politicians who talk about the “windmill scandal” regarding the draft amendment to the law on support for energy consumers. There is probably no scandal, but the PSL president has to put out the fire by announcing changes.
Parliamentary insertion and the “windmill scandal”
The group of parliamentarians Polska 2050-TD and KO has submitted to the Sejm a draft amendment to the Law on Support of Energy Consumers, which proposes, among other things: the restoration of the stock exchange obligation, as well as the liberalization of the rules for the construction of wind farms on land, where – as indicated in the justification – development was blocked by the introduction of the so-called Rule 10H, insufficiently amended in March 2023.
The project also assumes that electricity, gas and heat prices for households and sensitive entities will be frozen until the end of June 2024. It is assumed that proportional power consumption limits are maintained and that groups under protection are enforced.
PiS politicians criticize the bill. According to them, the provisions of the project are “disastrous” and “harmful to Poland”. According to them, the “windmill scandal” is proof of whose interests the “Coalition of Fraudsters” actually represents. They point out that this could lead to the expropriation of people for wind farms.
PSL chairman states: “There is no scandal”
Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz was asked in Polsat News whether “we already have the first scandal of the new government, although it has not yet been formed, the windmill scandal.”
There is no scandal
– replied the president of PSL. He indicated, among other things: about the “need to freeze energy prices in the new year.”
He announced that “changes will take place” in the said law. To the journalist’s comment that it contained provisions on windmills, stating that “the distance between windmills and houses should be reduced almost twice, from 700 meters to 300 or 400 meters”, the PSL politician replied: “I say so immediately it will not be smaller than 500 meters.
This follows from our amendments that we tabled in the previous parliamentary term (…), it was our election promise. Facilitating the creation of renewable energy sources, both offshore and on land, solar photovoltaics, biogas plants, wind turbines; but what is important there: noise standards, which are being introduced for the first time. And this is a very good decision. We need to improve here, there will be consultation, there will be a conversation, this is the change that is happening, compared to the PiS government, which was infallible and did not listen to comments
– added Kosiniak-Kamysz.
“There will be no expropriation of wind farms.”
Kosiniak-Kamysz also referred to Thursday’s submission by PiS member Beata Szydło on the X platform. In his address to the PSL President, the politician wrote:
Bravo, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. Your colleagues from Third Path have submitted a bill to the Sejm, which provides for the expropriation of people for wind farms. (…) Villagers will certainly be very grateful to PSL for this.
When asked whether any of the PSL politicians had signed this project, he replied: ‘we have not signed it; but in principle we support and will submit our projects, which are already jointly owned by the government, regarding the introduction of wind turbines, photovoltaics, biogas plants and the emphasis on renewable energy sources.
There will be no expropriation of wind farms
– he emphasized. He pointed out that expropriation “is possible today, for example for electricity networks, and will remain so. Far-reaching reforms are needed here.”
This project needs to be improved, it is good that there are regulations regarding the freezing of energy prices, regarding wind turbines, the elements that I mentioned in any case need to be changed and they will be changed
– assured Kosiniak-Kamysz.
Szydło answers
The aforementioned former Prime Minister Beata Szydło has already responded to Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz’s words on website X.
The head of @nowePSL @KosiniakKamysz first kept quiet about the #WindScandal all day, and when he finally spoke in the evening, he showed a complete lack of understanding of the situation. He started talking about “corrections” of scandalous regulations – and it is worth paying attention to how @KosiniakKamysz tried to pass the buck to @hennigkloska. Interestingly enough, @KosiniakKamysz was not kind enough to give a clear answer to the question of how the village will respond to Tusk’s coalition projects. Apparently he cares much less about the countryside and its affairs than he does about his office in Warsaw
– said the PiS member of the European Parliament.
What do we read in the project?
The justification for the project from the MPs of KO and Poland 2050-TD states that “it is proposed that the location of the construction of a wind farm should depend on the sound energy it radiates.”
“In the case of more modern, low-noise devices, they can be located closer to residential buildings. Quieter windmills will be able to be placed closer, while louder windmills will have to be much further away from buildings to avoid causing nuisance,” the spokesperson said. The justification also states that the project assumes “a minimum distance of 300 m for locating new wind farms from areas subject to acoustic protection, even in the case of wind turbines quieter than 100 dBA due to the size of these constructions.”
As we read in the justification, “the resources intended to finance the support to eligible customers (…) will come from the COVID-19 Fund, which will be financed from the gas contribution to the Price Difference Payment Fund for 2022 and other funds in the manner provided for in the relevant regulations.” According to WysokieNapiecie.pl, “the entire operation will be financed at Orlen’s expense.”
It seems that the publicity about the ‘windmill scandal’ and the pressure from the media and PiS politicians have had their effect.
– ONLY HERE. A note about the wind turbine law. Kaleta: MPs from Tusk’s coalition do not know what they signed for
— Prime Minister Morawiecki bluntly about the opposition: they want to place turbines next to Poland’s houses. There was supposed to be popcorn and there it is! Only lobbyists eat it!
— A series of questions from PiS MPs about the amendment to the Wind Farm Act: “Who exactly is the author of these provisions?”; “Who made money from this?”
— MPs from Tusk and Hołownia have submitted a bill to amend the wind farm law! “It has, among other things, made the expropriation of private individuals possible”
olnk/PAP/X/wPolityce.pl
Source: wPolityce