Another regional media meeting was held in the guest hall of the Saeima, where the Speaker of the Saeima, Daiga Mieriņa, informed the media about the latest in various fields. The Minister of Climate and Energy, Kaspars Melnis, attended the meeting to tell about the latest in the field of energy development, the support mechanism in the situation of high energy resource prices, which would also emphasize the development of wind farms and support for residents and municipalities that live near them.
Financial contribution of wind farms to the local community
Minister Kaspars Melnis announced that regulations on financial benefits for municipalities and residents living near wind farms have entered into force. It will be 2,500 EUR/MW per year, which will be divided into two parts – 50% for residents, 50% for municipalities. The minimum annual benefit for citizens will be one monthly salary, and the maximum will be three monthly salaries. The financial support will be paid by the wind project developer from its own funds.
The municipality will be able to use the funds obtained for the improvement of the environment and infrastructure, as well as for the development of new energy efficiency projects. On the other hand, in order for the resident to be able to obtain this financial benefit, the residential building must be located within 2 km and must have been put into operation before the construction permit for the wind power plant was issued, and the building must not be completely or partially collapsed, dangerous or a landscape-damaging structure. In the event that the property is owned by two owners, the financial benefit is divided equally between the co-owners.
Contribution to the local community will also come from a wind farm built offshore up to 25 km from the coast with a capacity of at least 1 MW and residential buildings located within a 2 km radius of the shore point. Also, if the project developer wants to increase the number of turbines for the existing wind power plant, the local community will be given an investment.
Benefits on a Latvian scale
The energy produced by wind parks will have a significant impact on the energy expenditure of citizens and entrepreneurs. The produced energy allows us to replace the import of energy resources and opens up opportunities for energy export. The minister emphasized that cheaper energy for entrepreneurs will allow to increase competitiveness in the region, and for the state – investments worth tens of billions, to increase the state budget and use the funds for the development of the state in various areas and for the well-being of the population.
The minister repeatedly noted the importance of organizing sparsely populated areas and helping them, so that it is possible to build wind parks there as well and, according to the newly adopted regulations, to provide financial support for the development of the area. Although discussions about the construction of wind farms are still ongoing in society, it is important to educate the population about the conditions and benefits of their construction, because in the long term this is a significant contribution.
During the meeting, a question was also raised about the conditions for the construction of wind farms in Latgale and the border, their security considerations, to which the minister replied that a new map has been developed in close cooperation with the Ministry of Defense, which is not yet publicly available, but the work has progressed and is visible the solution.
Support mechanism in the situation of high energy resource prices
The Minister of Climate and Energy also told about the latest support mechanism in the situation of high energy resource prices: “On September 3 of this year, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the regulations developed by the Ministry of Climate and Energy, which determine in which cases and how much state support households receive in the event of an extremely high increase in energy resource prices. In such situations, households with low and medium-low income levels will receive support. The aim is to reduce the negative socio-economic impact on the well-being of the population, which are related to the rapid increase in the prices of energy resources during the heating season.»
The support will be granted to households with a low and medium-low income level, whose monthly expenses for housing per one of its members could make up 30% of the household income. The support is not planned to be applied permanently, but to be granted in situations where an extraordinary increase in the price of energy resources is detected on the market. During the heating season, we may encounter such a situation one or more times, but if the prices of energy resources will be stable throughout the heating season, the activation of such a support mechanism may not be necessary. Price thresholds at which state aid is applied have also been developed.
According to the minister, the energy cost compensation information system will automatically determine the households that will qualify for support. Households with low and medium-low incomes will be able to receive the support, if the user has declared or registered at the address where they use the electricity, natural gas and heat energy service. The income of all persons declared or registered in the household will be added together. The total income will be divided by the number of persons declared or registered in the given household. Civilians of Ukraine who have been granted temporary protection status in Latvia and who live at the indicated contact address can also apply for support, if it is established that their income level will be low or moderately low.
/Photo: Saeima Press Service/
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2024-10-10 11:22:00