On 16 October 2025, the Senate adopted the Act of 9 October 2025 amending the Act on the promotion of electricity generation in offshore wind farms and certain other acts. The Act was then signed by the President of the Republic of Poland. However, the Act has not yet been published in the Journal of Laws.

Among other things, this Act introduces a very important amendment to the Act on Renewable Energy Sources (Renewable Energy Sources Act, RES Act), allowing for the creation of energy cooperatives also in urban municipalities, instead of the previous possibility of creating such cooperatives only in rural or urban-rural municipalities. The amendment introduces a dual system for registering energy cooperatives (URE – for cities, KOWR – for rural and urban-rural municipalities).

The above-mentioned expected amendment to the RES Act brings, among other the following benefits:

1. Greater access to community energy for city residents

The change in the law has removed the previous territorial barrier, allowing housing communities, housing estates and local authorities to set up their own energy cooperatives. This opens the way for broad groups of consumers, previously excluded, to participate in local energy production.

2. Lower energy costs for cities and residents

Local energy production and balancing within a municipal cooperative reduces the operating costs of municipal buildings, schools, public institutions, housing communities and cooperatives. Production for own use increases resilience to energy price fluctuations.

3. Better use of local renewable energy potential

Cities have a large and stable demand for energy, and their surroundings (neighbouring municipalities) often have land available for renewable energy installations. Thanks to changes in the law, synergistic inter-municipal energy projects are now possible.

4. Strengthening the energy security of cities

Urban cooperatives can act as local „microgrids“, integrating photovoltaic production, energy storage and smart management systems, which increases the independence and resilience of urban infrastructure.

5. Development of innovative energy management models

New regulations encourage cities to create modern, decentralised energy systems based on real-time balancing, digital meters and conscious consumption management.