Energy Community advances Renewables Acceleration Areas to speed up Europe’s clean transition

New spatial mapping in Ukraine pinpoints low-conflict zones for fast-track wind and solar development — laying the groundwork for cross-border Renewables Acceleration Areas with the EU and Moldova.

A new Renewables Acceleration Areas (RAA) criteria framework developed by the Energy Community Secretariat with support from the European Climate Foundation may be key to overcoming the fragmented permitting, weak spatial planning and investor uncertainty that have slowed renewable deployment in both the Energy Community and across the European Union.

The framework, aligned with the EU's Revised Renewable Energy Directive, aims to unlock renewable potential in cross-border regions, fast-tracking critical wind and solar development that is essential for accelerating decarbonisation and strengthening regional energy integration. 

The criteria safeguard sensitive landscapes by excluding protected habitats, ecological corridors and flood-risk zones, and instead prioritise areas such as industrial sites, rooftops, brownfields and degraded land with strong renewable resources. Using these criteria, a new spatial mapping exercise in Ukraine applied the methodology across five western oblasts — Lvivska, Zakarpatska, Ivano-Frankivska, Chernivetska and Vinnytska — to identify and visualise zones with high suitability for rapid and sustainable renewable development. These regions have been identified as key starting points for future joint Renewables Acceleration Areas due to their significant renewable resource potential and strategic cross-border position. If implemented effectively, the approach could become a cornerstone for a more interconnected regional energy system between the EU and Energy Community Contracting Parties, enabling faster deployment of clean energy across borders. 

Progress on the criteria and preliminary mapping results was discussed at a Strategic Meeting in Ljubljana in late November, where representatives from Ukraine and Moldova, EU institutions and financial partners explored next steps for implementation and cross-border cooperation. 

Key next steps agreed in Ljubljana include: 

1. Refining and applying the RAA criteria. The criteria were confirmed as suitable and will be used as a practical tool once national legislation is in place. Further refinement may be needed as legal frameworks evolve. Their application requires reliable, updated, and metric-accurate spatial data, and the Secretariat will provide technical support to authorities and planners. 

2. Advancing mapping and spatial integration. Mapping will continue, including cross-border work with Moldova, EU Member States and other partners. Ukraine’s spatial input layer will be considered for integration into the national cadastral system and published by the Secretariat. TSOs and DSOs are expected to consider potential RAAs in future grid planning. 

3. Integration into NECPs. Ukraine’s NECP update is anticipated to build on the RAA criteria and analyses, strengthening alignment with Revised RED and informing the development of related policy measures. 

4. Financing and IFI engagement. Several EU financing options were identified for cross-border RES projects, and IFIs — including the World Bank and EBRD — expressed strong interest in supporting RAA development, project preparation and permitting improvements. 

5. Establishing a coordination platform. A coordination platform will be created to ensure regular, structured coordination among national, regional and international stakeholders involved in developing cross-border RAAs.