Several industry associations have written to the European Commission (EC) calling for action to speed up the slow permitting process which is delaying new renewable energy investments across the region.
The open letter, which was co-authored by eight trade bodies, urges the EC to put pressure on governments to deliver on the European Green Deal and the EU’s 2050 decarbonisation targets.
“Addressing permitting bottlenecks is critical to unlock renewables’ potential and make investments happen. But as things stand, national licensing frameworks do not keep pace with the scale and volume of renewable investments,” the missive warned.
The letter said that permitting rules and procedures for new and repowered renewable energy projects remain too complex and lengthy despite the provisions in the reviewed Renewable Energy Directive asking member states to simplify and shorten them.
“Slow processes prevent the use of the most efficient technologies available which would be able to deliver the transition at the lowest cost for the society. Unclear regulatory frameworks and delays in legislation exacerbate investors’ uncertainty,” it said.
The letter warned that draft 2030 National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) had not been updated to allow for the speeding up of renewable energy project decisions.
“To date almost all the final NECPs remain equally silent on the policies that will speed up permitting on the ground. Most Member States have not even planned for additional administrative or human resources to issue the permits needed to meet their 2030 renewable energy goals,” it said.
“Without an appropriate and simplified framework for permitting, the 2030 national renewable energy commitments remain purely academic,” the letter added.
The group of trade bodies urged the EC to take “further action” to remove existing bottlenecks for the permitting of renewable energy projects in Europe.
The letter suggested that member states should transpose and enforce the permitting rules from the 2018 Renewable Energy Directive for new renewable energy projects, which advocates a single contact point and shorter processes.
It also said member states should be audited on whether they have the required administrative and human resources to process the permit applications needed for the renewable energy commitments made in the 2030 National Plans.
The letter said member states should also support renewable energy operators in deploying the most efficient technology available for a specific site.