Financing Renewable Energy Projects Through Regional Operational Programmes

Regional operational programmes provide support granted from EU funds for different projects implemented in individual voivodeships in Poland. The aim of the programmes is to improve the competitiveness of regions and to promote the sustainable development. The priorities of the regional programmes include inter alia transport, environmental protection and sustainable energy production. The aim of the article is to analyze the amount and the results of the support provided from regional operational programmes for projects in renewable energy in Poland. The projects aimed at increasing the amount of electricity or heat produced from renewable resources and included for example modernisation of hydroelectric power plants or the installation of solar thermal collectors. The article also discusses difficulties in renewable energy project implementation. The problems resulted from the uncertainty about regulations affecting the energy sector and about price of green certificates which renewable energy producers sell to electricity suppliers. The analysis includes experience from the 2007-2013 funding period. It is based on regional programme documents and data from National Information System for the monitoring of the use of EU funds in Poland.