site.btaRenewable Energy Projects Need Clear Rules, Not Moratorium, Solar Academy Bulgaria Association Says

The development of wind energy and large-scale renewable energy projects (RES) requires clear rules, not the imposition of a moratorium, the position of the Solar Academy Bulgaria Association, in response to the public debate over the development of wind power and large-scale renewable energy projects in the country, says. The statement comes in the wake of a national protest held on September 12 against the construction of wind turbines and photovoltaic parks on agricultural land and near populated areas.

In its statement, the Association compares some of the figures circulating publicly with official data, while also raising broader questions concerning land, property rights, electricity prices, and the need for clear and predictable investment rules.

According to the Bulgarian Wind Energy Association, around 320 wind turbines are currently operating in Bulgaria. Official data from the Environment and Water Ministry show 719 MW of installed wind capacity nationwide, of which 556 MW is concentrated in the regions of Varna and Dobrich. A further 70 turbines, with a combined capacity of 206 MW, are currently under construction there, according to the Solar Academy Bulgaria Association.

These figures differ significantly from claims circulating in public that 2,500 wind turbines have already been built in Northeastern Bulgaria, with another 5,000 allegedly planned. "There are no publicly available official data confirming such a scale," the Association states.

"The official figures also show something else: there is indeed a concentration of wind projects in Northeastern Bulgaria. This means that the concerns of local residents cannot simply be dismissed because some of the figures being used to support their arguments are inaccurate," the Solar Academy Bulgaria adds.

"When several projects are concentrated around a single populated area, their cumulative impact matters. And when there is a violation, there must be a sanction," the Association argues.

According to Veselin Todorov of the Solar Academy Bulgaria Association, there is another principle that should not be overlooked, one that concerns legal certainty, private property, private initiative, and the investment environment.

"I would not defend a project simply because it produces green energy. But if the land is yours, the project is legally permissible, you have passed all the required checks, and the state has approved it, the rules cannot be rewritten retroactively because of public pressure. At that point, we are talking about legal certainty, property rights and the investment environment," Todorov says.

In his view, the state can determine where and under what conditions projects may be built, protect certain categories of land, and require environmental assessments, minimum setback distances, land restoration and additional restrictions. However, these requirements must be known before an investment is made, rather than introduced afterwards.

In its statement, the Association recalls that, one day before the national protest, the Environment and Water Ministry announced plans for national spatial planning for the development of solar and wind energy, rules on minimum setback distances, protection of agricultural and forest areas, and earlier coordination of the interests of the energy sector, agriculture, local communities, the environment and the electricity grid. The Ministry also stressed that blanket bans and sweeping restrictions cannot replace clear, predictable and well-founded rules.

The debate following September 12 should therefore focus on establishing clear, predictable and well-founded rules, the Solar Academy Bulgaria Association says.