Wind and solar: Bulgarian energy committee backs fast-track zones for renewables
More than a year late, Bulgaria is transposing the EU renewable energy directive. Green power contracts, wind farms and storage are set to become easier.
Symbolic image · Photo: Silversvile / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
The Bulgarian parliament's energy committee on Tuesday approved amendments to the Renewable Energy Sources Act at second reading during an extraordinary session. According to the BTA news agency, the changes are designed to make it easier to sign contracts for renewable electricity and to produce and use green energy. They transpose EU Directive 2023/2413, whose deadline expired on May 21, 2025.
The amendments introduce renewable acceleration areas and encourage local communities to take part in projects there. Opinions on grid connection for wind generators will remain valid for longer. The law also supports decentralized generation and storage, renewable heat, and a mechanism for issuing and trading credits for renewable electricity used in transport. Joint projects with other EU countries are to be encouraged.
The Energy Ministry stressed that environmental rules remain unchanged, including the assessment of whether an environmental impact study is required. Protected areas, sites in the National Ecological Network, established bird migration routes, forests and permanent grassland are among the areas excluded when priority wind zones are designated. The directive is meant to help the EU cut net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% from 1990 levels by 2030.