Polish president vetoes wind farm bill, pledges separate energy price freeze plan
Polskie Radio S.A.|Aug 21, 2025
Nawrocki said his decision resulted from public opposition to loosening wind farm restrictions, including reducing the minimum distance from residential buildings from the existing 700 metres to 500 metres and scrapping the so-called 10H rule introduced in 2016. “People don’t want 150-metre turbines near their homes," he said.
Nawrocki said his decision resulted from public opposition to loosening wind farm restrictions, including reducing the minimum distance from residential buildings from the existing 700 metres to 500 metres and scrapping the so-called 10H rule introduced in 2016. “People don’t want 150-metre turbines near their homes," he said.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki on Thursday vetoed a bill that would have liberalised rules for onshore wind farm construction and also contained provisions extending a freeze on household electricity prices until the end of 2025.
It was the first veto of Nawrocki’s presidency since it began on August 6.
Nawrocki announced at a news conference that he would instead submit his own bill to extend the price freeze.
"The so-called wind farm bill is a form of blackmail by the parliamentary majority and the government," Nawrocki told reporters. "This legislation is about wind turbines, not about lowering electricity prices."
He said his office would submit a separate proposal that directly prolongs the freeze on electricity prices for households …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]Polish President Karol Nawrocki on Thursday vetoed a bill that would have liberalised rules for onshore wind farm construction and also contained provisions extending a freeze on household electricity prices until the end of 2025.
It was the first veto of Nawrocki’s presidency since it began on August 6.
Nawrocki announced at a news conference that he would instead submit his own bill to extend the price freeze.
"The so-called wind farm bill is a form of blackmail by the parliamentary majority and the government," Nawrocki told reporters. "This legislation is about wind turbines, not about lowering electricity prices."
He said his office would submit a separate proposal that directly prolongs the freeze on electricity prices for households into the last quarter of this year.
"We have not changed a single comma in the provision on freezing electricity prices," Nawrocki said.
He added he hoped parliament would take up the proposal next month and that he would be ready to sign it immediately afterward.
Currently, the price freeze is in place until the end of September, capping household electricity at PLN 500 (EUR 120, USD 135) per megawatt-hour, state news agency PAP reported.
Nawrocki said his decision resulted from public opposition to loosening wind farm restrictions, including reducing the minimum distance from residential buildings from the existing 700 metres to 500 metres and scrapping the so-called 10H rule introduced in 2016.
“People don’t want 150-metre turbines near their homes," he said.
He argued that lowering energy costs required "moving away from the EU’s Green Deal" and the bloc’s emissions trading system (ETS), not building more wind farms.
The legislation, passed earlier this month, had sought to ease restrictions on wind power projects while leaving local governments with the final say on whether projects could go ahead in their areas.