MPs today approved in the third reading an amendment to the law called Lex RES I, including several important amendments.

The result of the vote, among other things, marks the biggest success for the development of wind energy in the Czech Republic in recent years. The amendment will facilitate the construction of renewable energy sources, for example the installation of small power plants, for which it raises the limit without the need to obtain a building permit and a licence from the Energy Office from 10 kW to 50 kW. This is particularly important for households and apartment buildings, and the increase in the building permit threshold will help thousands of companies that are currently waiting to install their own energy sources.

An amendment was also passed that considers installations of over 1 MW to be public interest buildings. The extension of the amendment was supported by the trade organisations Association of Modern Energy, the Solar Association and the Association for Accumulation AKU-BAT CZ.

"Accelerating the preparation of new renewable energy projects will be made possible by the amendment to the Energy Act approved today, which includes them among measures in the public interest. New solar or wind power plants are the key to the rapid replacement of Russian natural gas and the cheapest solution for the decarbonisation of the Czech energy sector. If the amendment is adopted by the Senate, it will be one of the most important impulses for restarting the development of solar and wind power plants in the Czech Republic," comments Martin Sedlák on the results of the Chamber of Deputies' vote.

"Simpler conditions will bring, for example, the extension of rooftop solar power plants to residential buildings. Their residents will now be able to use their own electricity more easily and thus protect themselves from high energy prices," adds Martin Sedlák.

"The adoption of the amended law unlocks the potential of solar energy for the whole society, not just for house owners as before. It makes it easier to build rooftop power plants for small and medium-sized businesses or apartment buildings without the need for a building permit. In addition, it simplifies the construction of large-scale renewable energy sources that have the potential to make energy prices cheaper in the market for millions more people and large industrial businesses. The amendment also sends a signal to investors that the Czech Republic is interested in them and that it wants to be among the countries that support RES as an efficient source of energy against dependence on Russia and expensive electricity," says Jan Krčmář, chairman of the Solar Association.

"Every step leading to easier and therefore faster construction of renewable energy sources, especially in times of high energy prices, is very welcome. In this case, we were particularly pleased by the broad support for the proposal across the political spectrum. In the coming months, other key legislative changes that are essential for the rapid and safe development of RES, such as energy storage and flexibility aggregation, will need to be approved. We hope that these important legislative amendments will also have broad support among MPs," adds Jan Fousek, Director of the Association for Energy Storage AKU-BAT CZ, on today's success.