Del Guayo, Iñigo --- "Promotion of renewable energy sources by regions: The case of the Spanish autonomous communities" [2014] ELECD 945; in Peeters, Marjan; Schomerus, Thomas (eds), "Renewable Energy Law in the EU" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2014) 53

Book Title: Renewable Energy Law in the EU

Editor(s): Peeters, Marjan; Schomerus, Thomas

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781783473182

Section: Chapter 4

Section Title: Promotion of renewable energy sources by regions: The case of the Spanish autonomous communities

Author(s): Del Guayo, Iñigo

Number of pages: 22

Abstract/Description:

This chapter aims to analyse critically the role played by the Spanish autonomous communities in the promotion of the use of renewable energies in Spain, with a particular focus on the promotion of renewable energy sources for electricity production. After a short reference to Spain’s becoming a worldwide leader in the promotion of wind and solar energy, the chapter explains the constitutional position of the autonomous communities within the energy field. Following this, the function of the Spanish generation market is briefly explained, in order to fully understand the attached remarks on the position of the autonomous communities vis-à-vis the promotion of an energy paradigm based on a stronger penetration of renewable energies. Spain is heavily dependent on foreign sources of energy, since there are neither oil nor gas fields of significance. Spain mainly relies on the consumption of oil and oil products. The biggest share of national energy production is nuclear, followed by renewable energies and coal. Between 1985 and 2004, imported natural gas was the energy sector with the fastest development, and from 2004 to 2012 there was a remarkable increase in the use of renewable energies, in which Spain has become a worldwide leader.