LJUBLJANA, April 10 -- Starting this Saturday, new constructions in Slovenian urban areas with a roof surface area of 1000 square meters or more will only be granted a building permit if they include provisions for installing a solar power plant as well.

The ministries of natural resources and environment said in a joint statement on Wednesday that the regulation also applies to new parking lots with total space of over 1,000 square meters.

The regulation is taken to increase the use of sustainable energy resources.

"We are proving that we are taking the green (renewable energy) passage ... very seriously," Bojan Kumer, minister for environment, climate and energy, said.

He said that some 478 million euros (521 million U.S. dollars) from the government and various European funds will be allocated to subsidize the construction of renewable energy resources in the period from 2024 to 2026.

At present, solar energy accounts for about 5.8 percent of all electricity produced in Slovenia.

The country will hold a referendum later this year on whether to build a new nuclear power plant in order to ensure a stable energy source in the future.

The nuclear power plant NEK located in Slovenia is co-owned with Croatia. It went into commercial operation in 1983 and is scheduled to be closed in 2043.

  - Xinhua