Spain’s Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera (pictured) has signed a charter identifying actions to accelerate the expansion of wind energy in the country and to maximise its social and economic benefits.
The Spanish Wind Charter was also signed by president of the Spanish Wind Energy Association Juan Diego Díaz.
The Charter sets out six lines of action for the development of the wind energy sector and specifies the tools to carry out these lines of action.
These include more visibility and robustness in wind energy planning; improved wind energy auction design, giving greater weight to account non-price criteria; and better coordination between wind energy companies.
The Charter also includes action to increase the predictability and the promotion of long-term agreements; monitoring of international trade practices to avoid unfair competition; and reinforcing Spain’s wind energy manufacturing capacities.
In December 2023, 26 EU energy ministers signed the European Wind Charter, committing themselves to implement the excellent measures set out in the European Wind Power Package.
Spain was among the driving forces bringing other countries on board.
Many of the 300 companies signing the European Wind Charter were Spanish companies too.Giles Dickson, chief executive of WindEurope, said: “Last year’s EU Wind Power Package was a game changer – 15 immediate actions to strengthen Europe’s wind industry and speed up the expansion of wind energy.
“26 Governments then signed a European Wind Charter committing to implement the Package.
“It’s great that Spain is now delivering on that commitment by signing a national Wind Charter spelling out the actions the Government and industry are going to take.
“Good auction design, faster permitting, support for Spain’s excellent wind industry – bring it on.”Juan Diego Díaz, president of AEE, said: “The current energy situation, together with the geopolitical scenario of dependence on energy products and their value chains, justifies the adoption of emergency mechanisms under a common approach in the European Union, which will allow further progress towards the Energy Transition, while ensuring strategic autonomy based on the leadership of clean tech technologies in Europe, both of its actors and its critical supply chains.
“The signing of the Wind Energy Charter demonstrates that wind is one of the key technologies for the transition to renewable energy sources, and projects an image of Spain in the international arena as a driving force, a benchmark country with the conviction to achieve open industrial autonomy in clean technologies.”