Following yesterday"s repeal in Parliament of the so-called "anti-blackout" Royal Decree-Law, the Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF) has expressed regret over the loss of a "technical and absolutely essential" piece of legislation.
The law had garnered broad consensus across the energy and industrial sectors, as well as among environmental and civil society organisations, yet it has fallen victim to interests unrelated to the actual content of the regulation. "We cannot afford, as a country, to let this regulatory update fall by the wayside.
It is vital for industrialisation, energy independence, and the competitiveness of our industry," commented José Donoso, Director General of the association. "There is an urgent need for parliamentary groups to resume discussions and implement a regulatory solution to update the electricity system.
At stake is not only security of supply and the stability of the grid, but also a historic opportunity for our country.
For the first time, we have a competitive advantage in the energy factor.
In Spain, the price per kWh is half that in northern Europe, thanks to photovoltaics.
This technology can generate twice as much electricity as in northern Europe due to our abundant solar resource, with a homegrown, clean, and cutting-edge technology. UNEF also warns that the blockage could jeopardise over 30 billion in investments and highlights the risk of industrial relocation: "Other countries are showing strong commitment to renewable development, and investments require legal certainty and a well-developed regulatory framework to move forward," it notes. According to official data, there are currently 119 GW worth of requests from companies, data centres, and storage providers seeking to establish themselves in Spain due to the low electricity prices offered by photovoltaics.
SSpain"s current average electricity demand is around 25 GW.
Even if only 15 20% of these requests were realised, demand would double.
That could mean a reindustrialisation process unlike anything we"ve seen in this country," added Donoso. "But for this to become a reality, we need a stable system, regulations that match the technology, and a clear institutional commitment to reassure investors," he emphasised. Storage and self-consumption affected by the repeal UNEF also laments the impact this repeal has on the development of energy storage.
SThere is no time to waste.
If not addressed, this paralysis could mean that the necessary rollout of electric storage something that could be achieved within months by making use of existing or soon-to-be-approved renewable installations with hybridisation might be delayed by years, with major consequences for system stability and energy prices. The association also underlines the setback for self-consumption and the involvement of local communities, cooperatives, and small businesses in the energy system.
"This regulation represented a step forward for electrification and the democratisation of energy access through self-consumption.
A just transition means the transformation of the energy model creates employment and economic development opportunities in local areas especially rural ones and that collective self-consumption and energy communities empower citizens and local entities to manage their own energy.
Only in this way can we build an energy system that is truly sustainable environmentally, socially, and economically and resilient enough to guarantee our future. For all these reasons, UNEF calls on parliamentary groups for "institutional responsibility and a commitment to the country" to ensure the passage of a regulatory update that "allows us to move forward firmly in the energy transition, creating wealth and opportunities for our businesses and citizens, and strengthening our energy sovereignty and electrical system something especially relevant given the current volatile international geopolitical context.