The ruling of the European High Court confirms that the environmental assessment and public participation mechanisms that have been applied in recent years in the processing of wind farms and that were questioned by the High Court of Justice of Galicia, are compatible with Community law , thus clearing up the legal uncertainty that had paralyzed the development of almost one hundred farms in Galicia.
At AEE we want to emphasize that this ruling must mark a definitive turning point.
The cost of the structural paralysis of an entire sector for more than three years has caused enormous damage to companies and, primarily, to rural society and the Galician economy.
The halting of wind projects many of them with already committed industrial investments has severely hampered the energy transformation, rural job creation, and the achievement of the decarbonization goals established by the EU.
Galicia, with enormous renewable energy potential, cannot afford further delays.
The delay in wind power development in Galicia has reached historic levels.
Never before has a strategic industrial sector been blocked on this scale and for this duration in Spain, setting a very negative precedent for industry, investment, and employment in the region. Juan Virgilio Márquez , Director General of AEE , states:"This ruling restores confidence to developers, strengthens the credibility of the legal framework, and allows us to urgently resume the path of wind energy development in Galicia.
We're not just talking about competitive energy; we're talking about skilled employment, value-added industries, improving the rural environment, territorial cohesion, and fulfilling climate commitments.
Now it's time to act quickly and responsibly so that the projects that have been stalled until now can resume operations as soon as possible." We now call on the High Court of Justice of Galicia (TSXG) to resume processing the affected cases as soon as possible and resolve the pending cases as expeditiously as possible, prioritizing the overriding public interest that European legislation attributes to renewable energy .
It is essential that legal interpretations of the existing legal framework in Spain, which have led to the application of the precautionary principle over this overriding public interest, as has been the case in Galician court decisions, do not prevail again, as has been the case until now. Wind power in Galicia Galicia has 186 wind farms with a total capacity of 3,920 MW (12.9% of Spain's wind power capacity), which have generated 8,636 GWh (the fourth autonomous community in the ranking for wind power generation).
Galicia installed only 171 MW in the 2020-2024 period, while in Spain, 6,000 MW have been installed in the last five years.
There are currently 92 wind farms pending legal appeal (approximately 2,500 MW).
By Florencia Guglielmetti
By Energía Estratégica
By Matías Medinilla
By Emilia Lardizabal
