This Act defines the new regime for support to renewable energy sources (including wind energy, energy radiation of the sun, solar, aerothermal, geothermal, hydrothermal energy, hydropower, waves, currents error and tidal energy obtained from biomass, biogas, agricultural biogas and bioliquid - art. 2.22), aiming to stabilise the long-term support system, with the goal to prevent electricity prices form increasing in an uncontrolled manner. The Act also transposes the Directive 2009/28/EC on renewable energy into Polish legislation and aims to contribute to Poland's target of reaching 15% share of renewable energy production by 2020. The Act will provide continuing support to most existing installations (in operation by or before 31 December 2015) through certificates of origin, while future investments will compete for support through an auction system organised by the President of the Energy Regulatory Office (ERO). The auctions, applying to new installations over 10 kW of installed capacity, will be based on a type of contract-for-difference (CfD) granted, with separate auctions for old and new plants and for plants of 1 MW or less, as well as varied reference prices for the eighteen renewable sources reference groups. The chosen renewable plants will have to start generation within 24 months (solar plants), 72 months (wind plants) or 48 months (others), and they will be required to deliver at least 85% of the volume offered in the bid, under threat of penalty. The energy auctioned will be bought by the newly formed state-owned entity Operator Rozlicze? Energii Odnawialnej (for energy produced in installations above 500kW) or by electricity distribution companies (for energy produced in installations up to 500kW). Most existing installations will also be eligible to change to the auction support instrument from the current certificates of origin, except for hydropower plants over 5 MW, non-qualified biomass co-firing installations (art. 44) and biomass installations exceeding 50 MW of electrical power (or 150 MW of CHP power). The existing installations will continue to be eligible for the existing system of support through certificates of origin (introduced through the 1997 Energy Law), but a number of limits will apply:
<ul>
<li>support for max 15 years from the start of renewable energy production in the given installation;</li>
<li>support for hydropower of max 5 MW of capacity;</li>
<li>support for biomass co-firing installations of less than 150 MW capacity capped to equivalent of the average generation over 2011-2013;</li>
<li>large consumers (over 100 GWh of electricity consumed annually) and commodity brokerage houses are required to obtain certificates of origin for 14% and 15% of their annual electricity consumption for 2015 and 2016 respectively or pay the substitution fee. From 2017 the share is min 20%, but can be reduced by the Minister of Economy, if necessary due to specific market conditions. A unit substitution fee is set to a constant 300.03 PLN/MWh (2014 level, approx. 72 €/MWh), which should stabilise the price of certificates, as purchasing and redeeming of certificates of origin will only be allowed if the average market price of certificates remains below 75% of the substitution fee.</li>
</ul>
The Act also introduces a feed-in tariff system for micro installations of up to 10 kW (max 40 kW under special conditions - art. 41.7), while guaranteeing purchase by electricity distribution companies at 100% of market price for the next 15 years, until no later than December 31, 2035 (art. 41.5). The support also covers the so-called ‘prosumers,' who both produce and consume their own electricity. The subsidies amount to PLN 0.75 (EUR 0.18) per kWh to prosumers with a capacity of up to 3 kW (hydropower, wind, solar), and PLN 0.40-0.70 (EUR 0.10-0.17) for those with a capacity between 3 and 10 kW (biogas, hydropower, wind, solar). Moreover, there are no licensing/concession requirements for those micro generators that do not have active business. The Act was amended in June 2018, alongside the 2016 Act on investments in wind power and the 1994 Construction Act, in order to boost offshore wind investment. It was further amended in August 2019 to extend the agreements on grid connection and updates the auction mechanism.The Act was notably amended by bill 1129/2021 to extend the period for auctions of energy sales, set auction volumes, and remove obligations for small producers of renewable energy. The Amendments from November 2024 and October 2025 to the Renewable Energy Sources Act represent a strategic pivot toward "energy democratization," fundamentally increasing the profitability and accessibility of green energy. The November 2024 Act introduced a more favorable "net-billing" calculation and cut administrative wait times for solar building permits and grid connections from months to just 30 to 45 days. The October 2025 Act expanded these rights to urban dwellers by allowing energy cooperatives to operate in cities and granting "tenant prosumers" the flexibility to install solar panels on carports and garages rather than just roofs. Together, these laws establish renewable energy as an "overriding public interest".

 Act of 20 February 2015 on renewable energy sources, last amended by Act of 9 October 2025 (RES Act)

The summary of this document was written by researchers at the <a href="http://lse.ac.uk/grantham" target="_blank"> Grantham Research Institute </a> . If you want to use this summary, please check <a href="https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/cclw-terms-and-conditions" target="_blank"> terms of use </a> for citation and licensing of third party data.

 Act of 20 February 2015 on renewable energy sources, last amended by Act of 9 October 2025 (Consolidated text)

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An aim to achieve a quantifiable outcome within a given time-frame, set by an institution such as a national government.

Policy instruments are techniques or tools used by governing authorities to promote certain policies in order to achieve predetermined goals. Put simply, instruments are how a government tries to achieve its goals, with this taxonomy being focused on national policy instruments.

Risk is the potential for adverse consequences resulting from the dynamic interplay between (climate-related) hazards, exposure, and vulnerability of affected human or ecological systems.

Groups  of people who are adversely affected by climate change or the response to it

A set of principles, processes, and practices that build economic and political power to shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy.

Justice is the ethical and political framework that addresses fairness, including issues of responsibility, rights, and structural inequity.

Renewable energy means all forms of energy produced from renewable sources in a sustainable manner.

Fossil fuel is a generic term for non-renewable energy sources such as coal, fossil gas, and oil (including crude oil, and petroleum products), that can be used for electricity and heat generation. Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons formed from pressurised and heated organic material buried over millions of years.

Molecules in the atmosphere that play a key role in the greenhouse effect by trapping heat radiating from Earth’s surface.

Area of the economy in which actors engage in identical or related activities.

In human systems, the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate change and its effects, in order to moderate harm, increase resilience or exploit beneficial opportunities. In natural systems, the process of adjustment to actual climate change and its effects; human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate change and its effects.

The management and allocation of funds, assets and investments to meet various objectives

A subsidy is a direct or indirect payment to individuals or businesses, typically provided as a government cash payment or a specific tax reduction.

Compulsory, required payments to the government that are levied more-or-less in proportion to the services provided. Fees and charges range from entrance fees to national parks, charges on land-based sewage discharge.

Financial support to help individuals manage the effects of unexpected events, securing their livelihoods and increasing the resilience of people and businesses to the changing climate. It’s especially vital in developing regions where everyday risks, climate-related weather extremes, or crop failures can push people into poverty. Without insurance, people may have to resort to selling assets or cutting consumption to cope with losses.

Tradable permits are market-based tools that grant permission for specific activities, frequently used to regulate emissions. These permits can be issued within a trading system to manage environmental impacts.

Codes and standards are regulatory instruments that specify minimum standards to protect health and safety. This ranges from performance standards, which prescribe outcomes while allowing flexibility to achieve compliance, to the more prescriptive approach of technology-specific standards.

Zoning and spatial planning are both methods for guiding the distribution of people and activities in a space, and are regulatory restriction.

The processes through which enterprises can identify, prevent, mitigate and account for how they address their actual and potential adverse impacts. Due diligence is the idea that reasonable precautions should be taken to avoid causing harm to people, the environment, or society. It also involves identifying and mitigating risks before they occur.

A ban is a legal action that prevents the sale or supply of a product or service, or that recalls a product from the market. Examples are bans on SF6, greenwashing, fossil fuel advertisement or single-use plastics.

Financial actors and resources that are primarily directed towards climate change mitigation, adaptation and compensation.

Dedicated pool of financial resources for climate-related projects.

A financial institution that manages a country's currency and can promote climate-related initiatives through green monetary policy and other means.

Aligning the skills of the workforce with the requirements of the just transition.

Either money or something of monetary value is transferred between two or more organisations, people or countries.

Conditions that enhance the feasibility of adaptation options. Enabling conditions include finance, technological innovation, strengthening policy instruments, institutional capacity, multi-level governance and changes in human behaviour and lifestyles.

Actions or measures to adapt terrestrial systems to climate change.

Actions or measures to adapt freshwater systems to climate change.

Actions to adapt human health, healthcare systems and well-being to climate change.

Actions or measures to adapt freshwater, coastal and marine systems to climate change.

A long-lived, colourless gas, chiefly emitted from fossil fuel combustion, deforestation and cement production.

A potent, short-lived greehouse gas, largely released from livestock, fossil fuel extraction and waste management.

Agriculture mitigation refers to practices used to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions at every level of the agrifood systems, from production to consumption.

Replacing technologies that burn fossil fuels directly with alternatives powered by electricity.

Actions to reduce emissions in energy generation and supply.

Investment in electricity transmission and distribution systems capable of integrating renewable energy, supporting electrification and strengthening energy system resilience.

Technologies that capture and hold energy in reserve for later use.

Terrestrial means "of the earth" and relates to the risks to ecological system that includes all living organisms and their interactions within land-based environments, such as forests, grasslands, and deserts.

Social protection systems consist of policies that help people manage social risks in order to prevent poverty and maintain decent incomes and living standards

Energy derived from biological compounds that are renewable due to their short life cycle within the carbon dioxide cycle.

Social inclusion is the process of improving the terms on which individuals and groups take part in society—improving the ability, opportunity, and dignity of those disadvantaged on the basis of their identity.

Heat extracted from the ground, usually in the form of hot water or steam and typically referred to as hydrothermal fluid.

Electrical energy generated from mechanical devices driven by flowing fresh water.

Production of electricity and heat from solar irradiation.

Kinetic energy of airflow transformed into useful energy, mostly electrical energy.

Oil is a combustible liquid fossil fuel composed mainly of hydrocarbons, occurring as crude oil and refined into petroleum products such as petrol, diesel and kerosene.

Fossil gas, commonly known as natural gas, is a fossil fuel consisting chiefly of methane with smaller amounts of other hydrocarbons and trace gases, found in underground deposits.

Coal is a combustible sedimentary rock formed from carbonised plant matter, rich in carbon and hydrocarbons, and occurring in several main types including hard coal and brown coal.

Work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for all, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom for people to express their concerns, organize and participate in the decisions that affect their lives and equality of opportunity.

Jobs that contribute to preserving or restoring the environment. We include jobs which require a high amount of green skills or which spend much of their time on green activities, as well as jobs transforming polluting industries.

People whose health, both mental and physical, makes them more vulnerable to the effects of climate change

Any compulsory, unrequited payment to the government levied on corporations or individuals. This can be for environmental reasons, such as introducing a Carbon tax to set a price that emitters must pay for the greenhouse gases they emit.

Activities of industries that extract natural resources, such as mining, oil, and gas, for commercial use.

The activities of industries that transforms raw materials into finished goods through industrial processes.

The activities of industries involved in the production, distribution, and sale of energy, including electricity, gas, and renewables.

This sector involves managing waste treatment, sanitation, pollution control and environmental cleanup.

Activities that involve planning, designing and building infrastructure, residential, and commercial structures.

This sector involves the wholesale and retail selling of goods.

This sector involves activities to move goods and people, alongside the storage of products.

This sector provides communication services, software development, and IT solutions.

This sector involves activities that impart knowledge and skills to individuals, including formal schooling, vocational training and educational support.

Activities of government agencies and institutions that provide public services, enforce laws and manage public resources.

Activities of businesses and institutions that provide financial services and products to individuals and organisations.

Activities that involve the cultivation of crops and raising of livestock for food, fibre, and other products essential for human life and industry.

Activities involving the catching, processing, and selling of fish for food, recreation, and industry.

This sector involves the distribution, treatment, and conservation of water resources.

the fair distribution of risks and opportunities of climate change and the transition to a regenerative economy, cognisant in particular of disproportionate impacts on vulnerable communities and the working class

Procedural justice means ensuring that decision making is safe, transparent and inclusive, emphasizing the agency and influence of vulnerable groups and those most impacted.

Any substance with chemical properties that can cause physical harm to people or damage the environment, including ammonia, carbon monoxide, phosphine, chlorine, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, pesticides, dioxins, microplastics, benzene, asbestos, aflatoxins, fluoride, methanol, and toxins from marine sources.

Slow onset events evolve gradually from incremental changes over many years or from increased frequency or intensity of recurring events. As defined in the Cancun Adaptation Framework (2010), slow onset events include risks and impacts from rising temperatures, desertification, biodiversity loss, land and forest degradation, glacial retreat, ocean acidification, sea level rise, and salinization.