ABSTRACT
The current total installed capacity of 2 807 MW (as of 30 June 2013) is concentrated primarily in more than 20 large wind farms and only insignificantly exploits the actual market potential, estimated as approximately 13 GW [2] in the 2020 perspective. With such an installed capacity one could expect energy output at the level of 33 TWh (for comparison, in 2010 energy production amounted to approximately 1.5 GWh). The insignificant use of resources results in the share of production of electricity from wind in the national electricity consumption at the level of approximately 2.7%,4 and in one of the lowest wind power penetration indices in Europe. This is due to many reasons; it seems that the most important ones include: lack of political will to develop a strong renewable energy sources (RES) sector in significantly coal-dependent economy environment, relatively poor knowledge about this source in the society, constraints stemming from poor condition of the transmission grid as well as complicated permitting procedures related to the investment.Poland, together with other European Union countries adopted the targets stemming from the so-called EU’s “3 × 20%” Climate Package, representatives of the wind power industry (similarly to 1 “2012 Annual Report”, WWEA, May 2013.2 Source: “Wind in Power: 2012 European Statistics”, EWEA, February 2013. The ERO (Energy Regulatory Office) data. 4 Based on ERO (Energy Regulatory Office) and PSE S.A. (Polish Electroenergetical
representatives of other green energy sectors) still await a dedicated act that will regulate all the many formal aspects related to that market in a single legal act. Understanding the importance of this document, the Polish Wind Energy Association (PWEA) actively participates in consultations of the act, which is crucial for the sector. One of key challenges which the RES sector has to face is the maintenance of current advantageous solutions related to a stable and predictable support scheme in the form of tradable certificates of origin-the so-called green certificates-which have proven themselves in the national wind power investment implementation practice.In spite of objective hindrances, imperfect law and complicated administrative procedures, the number of wind farms built in Poland is increasing due to good wind conditions, increasing national experience with the technology and growing demand for clean energy. The 2004-2010 period alone saw almost 10-fold increase in wind energy production (Fig. 21.1).
