Poland has started to remove some of the barriers that have held back onshore wind. Opening up more land could help bring new projects forward, but developers still face the challenge of connecting that generation to the grid.
Emmeline Hess, Head of Communications at RP Global, and Anna Paslawska-Misztal, Deputy Country Manager Poland, look at how changes to planning and grid connection rules could affect developers and the next phase of Poland's wind market.
Removing one barrier exposes another
Poland’s wind sector was constrained for years by the 10H rule, which linked the minimum distance between turbines and residential buildings to ten times the turbine’s total height.
An amendment in 2023 allowed local spatial plans to permit projects from a minimum distance of 700 m, opening additional areas to development.
RP Global says this change has helped make previously difficult projects possible. The company is now building its 123.9 MW Wałcz wind farm and developing a larger project.
However, land availability is only part of the challenge. Grid capacity has become another major constraint.
Changing the grid connection process
The European Commission figures cited in the article indicate that connection requests representing approximately 42 GW of renewable capacity were declined in Poland in 2025.
New legislation that principally entered into force on 30th April 2026 introduces measures intended to make connections more efficient and disciplined.
These include:
Flexible connections could allow projects to operate temporarily with restrictions on electricity injection while network reinforcement is completed. Configurable connections could introduce restrictions that vary according to network conditions, available reserves or specific periods.
Practical experience with these arrangements is still limited, particularly when it comes to availability, conditions and bankability.
Credible pipelines become more important
The reforms could also reduce speculative projects occupying scarce grid capacity.
Connection agreements for installations above 1 kV can expire if developers fail to meet specified milestones. This could shift the competitive focus from maintaining the largest development pipeline towards demonstrating that projects can actually reach construction.
For smaller and mid-sized developers, the authors see potential advantages in:
Larger developers retain advantages in finance and procurement, but a more disciplined system could provide greater opportunities for specialist developers with credible projects.
A wider lesson for Europe
The Polish experience reflects challenges seen across Europe: limited grid capacity, lengthy permitting, competition for suitable sites and ambitious renewable energy targets.
Removing planning restrictions can create more projects, but without grid capacity those projects cannot generate electricity. Improving grid access, meanwhile, only delivers value when developers can demonstrate that projects are ready to progress.
For RP Global, Poland’s next wind cycle should therefore not be measured simply by how many gigawatts become available. The more important measure will be how effectively development pipelines are converted into operating wind farms.
If the reforms improve access to grid capacity while rewarding credible development and timely execution, Poland could provide a useful example for other European wind markets facing similar constraints.
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