The purpose of the RES Act was to adapt the Polish regulations on state aid to the requirements that the European Commission set for the Republic of Poland in the notification procedure of the RES development support system. The RES Act regulates changes to the principles of the auction system. The effect of the implemented changes is also the abolition of the limit for participation in RES auctions for biomass combustion units with a total installed electrical capacity greater than 50 MW. In addition, in terms of biomass, the Act sets the share of agricultural biomass in the total biomass weight share at:
- 85% for multi-fuel combustion installations and dedicated multi-fuel combustion installations with an installed electrical capacity greater than 5 MW,
- 10% for dedicated biomass combustion installations and hybrid systems with an installed electrical capacity greater than 20 MW.
These provisions are important, among others, from the point of view of Unit No. 9 of the Połaniec Power Plant because the unit will be able to participate in RES auctions for the first time.
In Q1 2019, work began on the draft of another act amending the Act on Renewable Energy Sources and some other acts. According to the justifications presented, the objective of the changes is to implement the tasks set out in the Polish energy policy until 2020, by reducing the burden on end users due to support systems for renewable energy sources and rising electricity prices. At the same time, the amendment will make it possible to conduct auctions for the purchase of electricity from renewable energy sources in 2019 by specifying in the transitional provisions the maximum quantities and values to be sold and setting reference prices, constituting the maximum value of the offer which may be submitted by the generator in the auction offer.