Environmental and legal dimension of the state policy of Ukraine in the field of alternative energy

The article provides a comprehensive environmental and legal analysis of the state policy of Ukraine in the field of alternative energy in the context of implementing the concept of sustainable development and fulfilling European integration commitments. It substantiates that the transformation of the energy sector based on decarbonization, resource efficiency, and environmental safety is a key prerequisite for ensuring the state’s energy independence, enhancing its climate resilience, and fulfilling international environmental obligations. It is emphasized that state environmental policy in this area serves as a strategic instrument for creating legal and economic preconditions for the transition to a low-carbon development model, ensuring the integration of climate, energy, and environmental objectives into a unified system of public governance. The legal framework for guarantees of origin of electricity and state support mechanisms for renewable energy producers is analyzed. Particular attention is paid to the evolution of incentive instruments – from the “feed-in tariff” to the auction-based support model using a feed-in premium mechanism – as well as to the harmonization of national regulation with European Union law. The paper reveals the environmental and legal dimension of reforms in the renewable energy sector, which consists in combining climate goals, principles of environmental sustainability, and energy security requirements. It is argued that the development of alternative energy should be regarded not only as an economic or investment priority, but also as a component of the environmental function of the state and an instrument for implementing the constitutional right of citizens to a safe and healthy environment. The impact of martial law on the functioning of the renewable energy sector is examined separately, and it is determined that wartime challenges have simultaneously become a catalyst for accelerating the integration of the Ukrainian electricity market into the EU internal market, the implementation of the European energy acquis, and the modernization of regulatory mechanisms. It is concluded that the further development of state policy in the field of alternative energy requires systematic improvement of legal regulation, ensuring the stability of support mechanisms, introducing effective guarantees of origin instruments, and strengthening environmental standards in accordance with the principles of sustainable development.