The energy ministry plans to submit a draft bill to Parliament in September, following public consultation, for a second round of RES licensing simplifications concerning new projects.

During this time, the ministry intends to have also finalized and forwarded its legislative framework for the emerging energy storage sector, to play a crucial role in the country’s ambitious RES output targets.

The energy ministry plans to jointly submit the RES licensing simplification and energy storage bills to Parliament.

The new RES licensing simplification revisions will be based on a key proposal made by the energy ministry’s secretary-general Alexandra Sdoukou, heading the ministry’s RES licensing committee, entailing the termination of non-binding connection offers.

Instead, investors behind new RES projects will directly proceed to applications for finalized connection offers, once environmental permits have been issued.

Also, RES investors will be set time limits to submit installation permit applications for projects. Time will begin counting as soon as the investors have accepted finalized connection offers. If the time limit is not met, RES production certificates for corresponding projects will automatically expire.

According to the ministry plan, PV projects, land-installed wind turbines and hybrid stations will be given 12-month periods, while all other RES technologies and combined cooling, heat and power (CCHP) units will have 18 months.

Licensing authorities will also be set time limits, according to the plan. They will be given 20-day limits to request any additional information or clarification from investors. Also, authorities will have 20 days to issue RES licenses once applications are deemed complete.