A bill has been tabled for adoption by Parliament aimed at simplifying the administrative procedure of building power generation capacities for self-consumption using renewable energy sources.

On March 11, 2022, a bill was introduced to amend the Renewable Energy Act (REA) with the aim of simplifying the administrative procedure pertinent to building power generation facilities for self-consumption using renewable energy sources with a rated capacity of up to 5 MW. Such facilities are explicitly exempted from the procedure under REA article 23 for connection to the power grid.

In its transitional and final provisions, the bill also envisions amendments to the Spatial Development Act, aimed at simplifying the general rules for coordination of development planning. In addition, the exemption from the requirement to seek approval for development projects as part of proceedings regarding the granting of building permits already applies to power generation facilities using renewable sources with a rated capacity of up to 5 MW. Also, as long as these facilities are solely for self-consumption, the requirement for presenting a formal opinion on their connection to the power grid has likewise been dropped.

The bill also proposes an amendment to the Excise Duties and Tax Warehouses Act seeking that the requirement for registration of such facilities be dropped as well. The proposed bill, when enacted, is expected to abolish the long-discussed obstacles to the generation of power from renewable sources for self-consumption, the rationale being that there is no need to provide for more burdensome procedures if the facility will not supply power to the national grid.