Newsweek 28/2002
'Cut Wings'

The article was written by Izabel Świderek stating the situation of polish investors owning wind farms after the 1st July when new law terms where introduced.

On that day PSE „Polskie Sieci Energetyczne” a state owned company distributing energy imposed on power plants delivering energy to factories and households new prices in the trade of surplus energy. Now power plants that sell excess energy to other plants get less then up till now and if they want to complement excess have to pay more.

New terms introduced by Polskie Sieci Energetyczne are ruining operating producers and discouraging western investors to build new windmills. After changes introduced by PSE, energy plants so not to bear excess costs have to impose on wind power plants precise schedules concerning the deliveries of energy. The problem with wind plants is that they don’t know how windy the weather will be and how much energy they will produce.

Situated in Darłowo municipality, the largest wind plant in Poland that belongs to Energy-Eco company, cost 90 MLN PLN. On current terms the return on investment would be 8 - 9 years and the plant would work for at least 20 years. Now Energia-Eco through paying land tax strengthens the budget of Darłowo by 2 mln zł per annum, which is 20% of the income of this municipality. This money is badly needed on pomerania where after PGR terrains are very poor and are the perfect place to open such wind farms.

What will happen now. Koszalin energy company has agreed to receive energy from the seaside power plants on old terms hoping that the new terms shall not be bought to life. The ball belongs to the Office of energy regulations „Urzędu Regulacji Energetyki (URE)”, and this institution has stated that wind plants shall not receive special treatment.

In Poland the conditions for the development of wind energy are very good. It is not surprising that a few companies want to invest on the shores of the Baltic. Companies such as the Danish Vestas and LM Glasfiber and the German GE Wind Energy. If the decision of the PSE will not be changed they may change their plans. Can we afford to loose 2 million dollars in foreign investments ?

"Cut Wings (PDF)"