Bulgaria’s wind energy sector is urging authorities to revise proposed environmental restrictions that could prevent new wind projects from being developed in some of the country’s most promising wind-resource areas.
The Bulgarian Wind Energy Association (BGWEA) has raised concerns over measures included in the environmental review of Bulgaria’s updated National Energy and Climate Plan for 2024. In particular, the association objects to proposals that would extend restrictions beyond the existing Natura 2000 network.
Under the proposed rules, wind projects could be prohibited on agricultural and forest land located within six kilometers of bird-protection areas classified as high risk and within two kilometers of medium-risk sites. BGWEA warns that the resulting exclusion zones could cover significant parts of Dobrudzha, the Eastern Rhodopes and Burgas province, areas considered to have favorable conditions for wind power development.
The association argues that the proposed restrictions rely too heavily on administrative boundaries rather than detailed, site-specific assessments of habitats and environmental sensitivity. According to BGWEA, a more targeted approach would allow projects to be assessed based on their actual environmental impact rather than applying broad exclusion zones.
BGWEA has also questioned the legal basis for several of the proposed measures, pointing out that they originated in Bulgaria’s 2012–2020 National Renewable Energy Action Plan, which is no longer in force. The association is calling for the environmental assessment and appropriate assessment reports to be revised before authorities issue a final opinion on the updated National Energy and Climate Plan.
The issue was also raised at the European level in July, when BGWEA contacted the European Commission’s energy and climate departments as well as WindEurope. The association warned that overly restrictive rules could discourage investment not only in renewable energy generation but also in manufacturing, data centers, green hydrogen and other industries that rely on access to competitively priced clean electricity.
Bulgaria currently has around 715 MW of installed wind power capacity, with wind generation accounting for approximately 3.1% of the country’s gross electricity production in 2025. Very little new wind capacity has been commissioned since 2013, although several utility-scale projects are now progressing, with the first new facilities expected to enter operation in 2027.
