“We promised our voters that those who break the law would be held accountable,” Paulina Hennig-Kloska, Minister of Climate and Environment, told Polsat News.
The head of the Ministry of Climate referred in this way to the action of the services in Zbigniew Ziobro’s house.
Because this is what society expects and this is what the rule of law requires. However, I will repeat what my opposition colleagues say today: if one has clean hands and a clear conscience, there is nothing to be afraid of. He will defend himself in any court of law
– she said.
Action on energy prices
The package of energy price laws will be considered by the government after Christmas
– announced the minister.
Aid for those most in need will be distributed in the form of energy vouchers; Under one variant, the aid could cover 3.5 million households, she added.
Currently, energy, gas and heat prices are frozen as part of the anti-inflation shields introduced by the previous government; the regulations expire halfway through the year.
Prices (of energy after release – PAP) will be acceptable to everyone, and for those for whom these prices are not acceptable, there will be an energy voucher.
– said the Minister of Climate and Environment.
An income criterion applies when issuing the voucher; we calculate it per person in the family and give bonuses to single-person households, because seniors spend up to 70% on heat and energy. Budget
– she added.
As she noted, “we count on what we can afford.”
According to the head of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, two variants are being considered.
The minimum variant assumes that 3.5 million households can count on social assistance
– said Hennig-Kloska.
She explained that the voucher would be paid for once.
As for the prices themselves, we propose new tariff calculations because there is room to reduce energy and gas prices, although new gas tariffs appeared in February. There is room to reduce energy and gas prices as the situation on the fuel and energy market stabilizes
– she added.
The minister announced that the draft laws would be submitted to the government in early April, adding that “we should complete the legislative process in the first half of May.”
At the beginning of April – as Hennig-Kloska said – the draft of the wind farm law should be submitted to inter-ministerial consultations, because now “the discussions are being finalized”.
We are going to keep a distance of 500 meters, we want to make room for the development of onshore wind, this energy source is very lacking in our energy balance
– she said.
Help for energy companies
She also added that a draft law on prosumers and assistance to energy companies “that want to transform” has been added to the government’s legislative work list. As she noted, “we are waiting for the entry.”
A law was adopted at the end of 2023 that maintains the current rules for the protection of specific electricity, gas and heat consumers in the first half of 2024. The regulations provide, among other things, for: maximum electricity prices for households and small and medium-sized businesses. The current maximum electricity price of PLN 412 per MWh net will be maintained up to a certain consumption limit.
At the end of November last year, a group of MPs from Polski2050-TD and KO submitted a project to amend the Law on Aid to Energy Consumers, extending the freeze on electricity prices until June 30, 2024. The project also included provisions liberalizing the construction industry. of wind farms and wind turbines in Poland. The project was supposed to allow the construction of “silent” wind turbines at a distance of 300 m from buildings. The authors of the project also proposed to expand the catalog of strategic investments to include wind farms, which means that it would not be necessary to analyze the compliance of their location with the local spatial development plan. The project was criticized by PiS politicians.
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mly/PAP/Polsat News
Source: wPolityce
Emma Matthew is a political analyst for “Social Bites”. With a keen understanding of the inner workings of government and a passion for politics, she provides insightful and informative coverage of the latest political developments.