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European Parliament Backs Faster Permitting of Energy Projects

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Members of the European Parliament have agreed to a proposal to speed up the permitting process for electricity grid and renewable energy projects, according to a statement on Thursday.

The draft legislation originally published on Dec. 10, 2025 will allow relevant projects to undergo a shorter process for granting of permits, helped by a single national digital portal and an EU-wide permitting framework.

"In their amendments, MEPs want to broaden and strengthen the presumption of over-riding public interest for renewable energy projects and electricity grids," the statement said, adding that "MEPs also want new rules, accelerated deadlines and more transparency for grid connection procedures."

According to the MEPs, permitting process should be completed in three months and some projects should be "tacitly" approved if the deadline passes.

The permitting process for new grid connection projects, meanwhile, should take six to nine months, subject to location and technology.

The minimum capacity requiring a permit should also be raised to 200 kilowatts from 100 KW for small-scale solar installations, energy storage, and recharging stations.

Meanwhile, recharging stations with a total installed capacity of up to 1 megawatt should not require an administrative permit, the MEPs said.

MEPs have voted to open negotiations with the Council about the legislative proposal.

At present, the permitting process for electricity transmission grids in the EU typically takes at least five years to complete, while that for renewable energy projects takes up to nine years.

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