Wind power: after uncertainty, cut through the wind!

After seven months of deadlock, industry professionals appear confident. While hundreds of wind farm projects are threatened, a recent draft government decree is bringing a breath of optimism. For France énergie éponil, the executive must accelerate to avoid compromising the objectives of the energy transition.

Since December 2017, wind power professionals have been facing headwinds. The annulment by the Council of State (decisions of December 6 and 28) of the decrees reforming the environmental authority prevents any administrative decision on wind farm projects. In the eyes of the highest administrative legal authority, the prefect cannot be both judge and jury. Being the environmental authority that validates impact studies and, at the same time, the authority that ultimately authorizes the construction of the project. Legitimate under European law, the Council of State's decision nonetheless paralyzes the administrative apparatus to this day.

Pending call for tenders

This situation is not without consequences for the latest wind power call for tenders. Of the 500 MW awarded by the State, no more than 300 MW of projects applied, according to France énergie éponil (FEE). The explanation is simple: to apply, projects had to have obtained their authorizations. However, in the absence of an environmental authority, projects could not obtain authorization, and therefore could not apply. For Olivier Perot, President of France Energie Eolienne, "This situation is all the more regrettable given that, during the first call for tenders, the success of which was hailed by the government, the wind energy sector demonstrated its ability to quickly assimilate the new allocation mechanisms and its economic maturity."

New decree to be promulgated

Since December 2017, the long-time spokesperson for wind energy professionals has assured that he has been in contact with Matignon and the Ministry of Ecological and Inclusive Transition to find a solution. By coincidence, a draft decree was published a few days before the FEE's intervention. The new text plans to appoint regional environmental authority missions as the body for validating impact studies. Regional prefects would only make the final decision on project authorization.

Make up for lost time

Currently subject to public consultation, the future decree is not expected to be promulgated for several months. A delay that worries France énergie éponil. "It is imperative that the executive accelerate the processing of blocked files," emphasizes Olivier Perot. "We estimate that at least 170 wind projects representing more than 3 GW are currently at a standstill."The association of wind power professionals emphasizes that the sector needs visibility and stability to meet the objectives of the energy transition. While the 1.2 new GW planned for 2018 should be achieved, nothing is less certain for the years to come. Given the development timescales for a project (5 to 7 years), the current blockage should delay the volumes installed by 2020-2021, assures the FEE.

Cyrille Arnoux, web editorial manager