France to Vote on Landmark Renewable Energy Acceleration Bill Tomorrow

• Formerly, the French Senate included amendments to also consist of mayors and national heritage commission, granting them veto rights concerning wind projects while also enforcing high minimum distance from shore requirements for the set up of offshore wind farms.

In September 2022, Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, introduced the Renewable Energy Acceleration Bill. The proposed Bill seeks to accelerate the release of renewables. Tomorrow, that is, January 10, will prove to be a significant day for France as its National Assembly will pronounce its vote on the Bill.

There have been a slew of attempts to include amendments to the Bill, which have welcomed conflict. Formerly, the French Senate included amendments to likewise consist of mayors and also national heritage commission, providing them veto rights concerning wind projects while also enforcing high minimum distance from shore requirements for the set up of offshore wind farms. Nevertheless, they were ultimately removed. Professionals agreed that this might have reduced the development of wind energy advancement in the country.

France is the only country in the European Union that missed its 2020 renewable energy targets (as per EU's RE instructions). Having missed this objective, France is to currently bear the charge of EUR500m. That apart, the nation will need to use up an additional EUR6-9bn annually in gas imports to offset the shortfall.

WindEurope, an association that encourages making use of wind power in Europe, has stated that the misses can largely be attributed to complicated and tedious permitting procedures.

According to the French Government, the country is a laggard when it concerns progress on renewable energy, "France is falling back in the deployment of renewable energy manufacturing centers compared to various other European nations [as well as] it takes an average of 5 years of procedure to develop a solar farm needing a few months of work, 7 years for a wind farm and ten years for an offshore wind farm." Various other parts of Europe, it maintains, are twice as fast.

In short, the Bill aims to assist in administrative procedures by making them easier to quicken projects, mobilise lands that are deserted to augment setups. Up until now, the Bill has been seen in a positive light by industrialists that will be impacted by its death.

India additionally lately passed the Energy Conservation Amendment Bill.