On 10.07.2026 the Draft Bill amending the RESA (Ref. No. 52-602-01-22) was submitted to the National Assembly. This draft bill represents another attempt to complete the transposition of Directive (EU) 2023/2413 of the European Parliament into the Bulgarian legislation. The deadline for transposition expired on 21 May 2025, and on 24 July 2025, the European Commission sent a formal notice letter to the Republic of Bulgaria initiating an infringement procedure.
The proposed provisions are nearly identical to those in the draft amendment proposed in September 2025 and include the following main changes related to:
1. RES Targets and National Framework up to 2030 (§ 11)
The bill sets ambitious sector-specific targets:
o Buildings: An indicative target of a minimum 49% RES share in final energy consumption in buildings by 2030.
o Transport: A minimum share of 29% RES in final consumption.
o Industry: An annual increase of 1.6 percentage points in RES share. A specific target is set for renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO) – 42% by 2030 and 60% by 2035.
o Heating and Cooling: An annual increase in RES by 0.8 percentage points (2021–2025) and 1.1 percentage points (2026–2030).
o Innovative Technologies: An indicative target of at least 5% innovative RES technologies out of newly installed capacities by 2030.
2. Corporate Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and Market Facilitation (§ 1, § 7, § 22)
o Removing Barriers to PPAs: EWRC (Energy and Water Regulatory Commission) is mandated to assess regulatory/administrative barriers to corporate PPAs and propose measures (including credit guarantees to mitigate financial risk).
o Transfer of Guarantees of Origin (GOs): Producers entering into long-term PPAs shall request and transfer the corresponding GOs directly to the off-taker under the contract.
3. Grids, Grid Connection, and Flexibility (§ 18, § 19, § 52)
o Extended Validity for Grid Connection Opinions for Wind Projects: The validity of grid connection opinions for wind power plants is extended to 9 months from the provision of the guarantee under Art. 29, para. 1 (instead of the current 6 months, which remains applicable for other technologies).
o Acceleration Areas (Renewables Acceleration Zones): Permitting and commissioning procedures within these zones are shortened (to 6 months or 1 year depending on the facility size).
o Phase-out of Feed-in Tariffs for Small Rooftop PVs (up to 30 kW): Feed-in tariffs will no longer apply to new small rooftop/facade installations up to 30 kW commissioned after the law enters into force (§ 21, § 51).
o Participation of Small/Mobile Batteries and Aggregation: Amendments to the Energy Act (§ 52) grant behind-the-meter residential batteries (over 2 kWh), electric vehicles, and other decentralized assets the right to participate in electricity markets and provide flexibility services, including through aggregation.
4. Transport, Fuels, and Charging Points (§ 24, § 32)
o Fuel Supplier Obligation Scheme (§ 36a): Individual annual RES targets are introduced for fuel suppliers.
o Credit Mechanism for Charging Points (§ 36b): Operators of publicly accessible charging stations (delivering over 50,000 kWh/year) can earn RES electricity credits (1 kWh = 1 credit, valid for 12 months) and sell/trade them with fuel suppliers to fulfill their obligations.
o Fuel Blending (§ 32): The required share of advanced biofuels (Type A) blended into diesel and petrol will gradually increase, starting from 01.09.2026.
The law is envisaged to enter into force on the day of its publication in the State Gazette, with the exception of the new penalty provisions for fuel suppliers (Art. 67a), which will enter into force on 1 January 2027.
