Energy Policy Platform

Spanish Energy Strategy

For the last 40 years, the strategy on the Spanish energy mix has been changing continuously, having more interest in the short-term impact than a longer-term vision. Due to the lack of local resources, Spain has always been dependent on oil imports, although all energy plans were focused on reducing its oil dependency. The ways to achieve this objective have varied continuously and nowadays imports of primary energy represent 70% of total. The main issues regarding energy in Spain are:

Economic crisis in 2008, halting the development of many renewable or alternative sources of energy
Deficit of tariff in the electric sector
Highly Oil dependence (no national production)
Unstable legislation

The current discourse relates to the economic situation, which prevents new investments or subsidies to foster renewables as it was the case before the economic crisis in 2008. The institutional discourse is focused on the reduction on energy consumption.

 Overview of the political energy landscape in Spain

Main Objectives

Balance energy system costs and revenues (cut the debt)
Reduce imports and energy dependence
Accomplish EU targets for Spain: Reduce the primary energy consumption down to 119.9 Mtoe by 2020 (22.5% less compared to 2007); Reduce the final energy consumption by 2020, a total of 80,139 kToes (18.6% less compared to 2007); Reduce primary energy by 571 kToes/year until 2020.
By 2020 have a RES share in Electricity (39%), Heating and cooling (17.%) and Transportation (11.3%); for a total of 20.8% of the primary energy consumption

Main Problems

Economic crisis in 2008
Deficit of tariff in the electric sector
Highly Oil dependence (no national production)
Unstable legislation
Powerful actors (large utilities) influence the government
No long term strategy defined (2030-2050)

Targets & Roadmaps

National Energy Efficiency Action Plan NEEAP 2014-2020
Renewable Energy Plan PER 2011-2020
No strategic plans or documents after 2020

Main Discourses at Public level

Government states that economic situation doesn’t allow new investments or subsidies to foster renewables as it was before.
The institutional discourse is focused on the reduction on energy consumption
Some retired politics are now advisors on large energy companies, fact that make to suspect that some laws were directed to favour companies interests; having negative economic repercussion to the end user
Discourses on energy efficiency to reduce consumption and energy costs

Main Events as drivers

The EU Directives are the guidelines that the countries have to or should follow
The Imbalance of the Energy system (deficit of tariff) together with the Economic situation, cut the subsidies and the fostering
A reduction of energy consumption due to the economic recession, had the consequence on having an excess of power capacity installed
Legislation changes, from a favourable position to foster RES to a current non attractive laws; had an impact to the investments and power installed

Spain