Spanish Cabinet Approves Climate Law

• MITECO says the Spanish cabinet has approved the draft Climate Change & Energy Transition Law
• It moves the country one step closer to officially adopting the draft into law as final approval is to come from the Parliament
• Once approved, the law will put Spain on track to aiming for 100% renewable energy in its energy mix by 2050

The Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) has received green light from the national cabinet for a draft of the Climate Change and Energy Transition Law (PLCCTE), which now moves to the Parliament for final approval.

The process began last year in February 2019 when the ministry sought public opinion on the draft law under which Spain was to target 37 GW solar PV capacity by 2030.

Now with the cabinet expected to approve the draft, Spain is a step ahead in setting its national targets to become a carbon neutral nation latest by 2050 following 'scientific criteria and demand of citizens' and in keeping with the Paris Agreement. Other major goals that have been placed in the law include:

• Aim for 100% renewable energy goal in its electricity mix by 2050; in the interim the target is to take their share to at least 70% by 2030
• Reduce GHG emissions by at least 20% compared to 1990 by the year 2030
• No new projects comprising fossil fuel generation sources will be approved; in fact, the existing ones on approaching the end of their working life will be tried to convert or use their location for renewable energy
• The law promotes the concept of hybrid projects for renewables as well as recommends auction process to remunerate the winners

The government hopes for this ecological transition to attract over €200 billion ($219 billion) investment by 2030, generating between 250,000 and 350,000 net annual jobs, and grow the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country by around 1.8% in 2030 compared to a scenario without these measures.

"At a time when we have to tackle the recovery process against COVID-19, the energy transition is going to become a determining driving force to generate economic activity and employment in the short term, and to do so in a manner consistent with what we will need as a country in the middle and in the long term," said MITECO head Teresa Ribera. "We have identified the goals and tools, robust planning has been designed, we are confident that the energy transition will have positive impacts on our economy and well-being, and we know that they can begin to materialize immediately."

Spanish solar PV association Union Espanola Fotovoltaica (UNEF) is happy with the draft law that recognizes renewable energies including solar PV as the 'lever of economic reactivation', passing of which will provide stability and security to the industry.

"Regardless of the processing of this regulation, in order for the photovoltaic sector to be an engine of economic recovery, it is necessary to approve a new renewable energy auction law as soon as possible by means of a Royal Decree-law, which would allow quick implementation," demanded UNEF in a press statement, adding, 'The reform of the framework for access and connection to the electricity grid needs to be approved, introducing a new procedure for obtaining permits that provides transparency and avoids speculative behavior.'