North Macedonia Adopts New Energy Law to Harmonize with EU Clean Energy Package

Strategic Insights -

The North Macedonian Parliament has adopted a new Energy Law, aimed at revamping the country's energy market structure and aligning it with the EU's Clean Energy Package. The law, approved on May 14, 2025, by 62 out of 120 members of the Parliament, introduces significant changes to the regulation of energy facilities and the approval process for new energy projects. The new law establishes a novel Annual Plan for the Construction of Energy Facilities and requires developers to provide a bank guarantee or deposit to show their commitment and prevent construction delays.

Key Takeaways:

  • The new Energy Law introduces the Annual Plan for the Construction of Energy Facilities, which will serve as the legal framework for approving new energy projects in North Macedonia.
  • The law requires developers to provide a bank guarantee or deposit, based on the size of their project, to show their commitment and prevent construction delays.
  • The Ministry of Energy must approve the construction of power plants and other energy facilities in specific circumstances, including when state-owned land needs to be sold or leased, or when new facilities will be public-private partnerships or concessions for public goods.
  • The law introduces rules for developing energy storage systems, including stand-alone projects, storage paired with power plants, and storage integrated into the electricity grid.
  • One of the law's most important changes is the requirement that all new solar and wind power plants must now include storage systems equal to at least 20% of their capacity, with the ability to charge and discharge electricity at full power for a minimum of two hours.
  • The law prescribes the government and energy operators to develop measures to protect vulnerable groups, fight energy poverty, and ensure fair access to energy for all citizens.
  • The Minister of Energy, Mining, and Mineral Resources Sanja Bozhinovska described the new law as "a vision for the future and a foundation for national transformation towards a clean, sustainable and equitable energy future."

Statistics:

  • 62 out of 120 members of the North Macedonian Parliament voted to approve the new Energy Law on May 14, 2025.
  • The new law takes effect on May 29, 2025, eight days after it was published in the Official Gazette.
  • The law requires developers to provide a bank guarantee or deposit, based on the size of their project, with the amount varying according to the project's capacity (Energy Law, art. 93).

Sources:

  • Official Gazette of the Republic of North Macedonia No. 101/25, p. 2 (in Macedonian)
  • Energy Law (extracts, e.g., arts. 87-97, 87.15, 130)
  • Statement by Sanja Bozhinovska, Minister of Energy, Mining, and Mineral Resources (address to the North Macedonian Parliament)
  • Prepared by Milica Skaro Raicevic, Law Library Legal Research Fellow, under supervision of Peter Roudik, Assistant Law Librarian for Legal Research, Law Library of Congress, September 11, 2025