The project aims to support the Commission in identifying best practices and approaches to define Renewable Acceleration Areas (RAAs), including an overview of impacts and potential mitigation measures for solar PV, onshore and offshore wind. The project also contributes to the guidance document on the identification and designation of RAAs which the Commission must publish by April 2024, as established by the Wind Power Action Plan.

In order to speed up the deployment of renewables, Article 15c of Directive 2023/2413 requires Member States to setup renewable acceleration areas, which are zones where the planning and approval process for new installations can be significantly shortened. The project aims to support Member States with limited experience in renewables deployment or strategic environmental impact assessments, or those facing administrative constraints to adopt efficient and coordinated approaches. Through desk research, stakeholder interviews and a workshop, the project will identify steps that Member States can take to identify and designate RAAs, including a list of tools that can be used to map potentially suitable areas, and support the decision process to establish a RAA. In addition, the project will identify the environmental impacts of solar and wind technologies (the technologies expected to take the majority of designated areas), as well as mitigating measures that can be planned or taken already during the designation process.

Categories: Energy, Energy Policy Regulation and Markets, Environmental Economics and Policies, Renewable and Low-carbon Energy