Renewable energy is declining in Catalonia despite the end of the drought

BarcelonaRenewable energy production in Catalonia reached 1,497 GWh in the third quarter. This represents a 4.5% decrease compared to the same period last year, in contrast to the 2% increase across Spain as a whole. This is according to the quarterly report from the Renewable Energy Observatory, prepared by the consultancy firm Opina 360 using provisional data from Red Eléctrica. The main reason for this decline is wind power production, which plummeted by 26.3%.This was mitigated by the growth of hydroelectric power.(16.7%) and photovoltaics (11.3%). This drop in renewable energy generation has caused green energy to lose ground, falling to 14.8% of total electricity generated in the quarter, seven-tenths of a percentage point less than a year ago. In addition to Catalonia, eleven autonomous communities generated less electricity from renewable sources than a year ago, most notably the Basque Country (-22.3%), Extremadura (-14.8%), and the Valencian Community (-14.4%). Conversely, non-renewable generation increased by 0.8 percent thanks to a 22.4 percent increase in combined cycle gas turbines, which offset the decline in nuclear (-1.6 percent) and cogeneration (-11.4 percent). "Catalonia has not managed to consolidate the increase in renewables from last quarter due to the sharp decline in wind power. This hasn't even been offset by the increase in hydropower, fueled by the generous water reserves for 2025," notes the director of Opina 360, whose projects were not yet under Juan Francisco Caro's leadership. "These factors have resulted in a very significant boost to installed capacity," adds Caro.

In this sense, CataloniaIt only added 6 MW of renewable power to the electricity system between July and SeptemberAll of these correspond to photovoltaic solar energy. During the last year, the community's green capacity growth was 37 MW, barely 0.5% of all new installed capacity in Spain. However, this allows for an increase in the share of installed renewable power to 33.1% of the community's total capacity.

Renewables lose ground in Spain

Across Spain, renewable electricity generation lost momentum in the third quarter, although solar photovoltaic energy broke its production record. Renewable sources generated a total of 37,583 GWh in the third quarter, representing a 2% year-on-year increase. Photovoltaics provided the largest boost, rising 11.2% compared to last year to reach a record high of 17,104 GWh, accounting for almost a quarter of the electricity produced in the system. However, its growth was offset primarily by wind and hydropower, which ended the quarter with declines of 3.1% and 6.1%, respectively. Generation from other green sources also decreased, except for the group of other renewables (5.3%).

In parallel, generation from non-renewable sources increased by 4.1% year-on-year, reaching 32,717 GWh, driven almost exclusively by combined cycle plants, which boosted production by 26%. Nuclear power reduced its contribution by 3.5%, cogeneration fell by 9.7%, and coal plummeted by 84.7%, influenced by the conversion of the Abonio power plant (Asturias), which increased steam turbine production by 160.1%. The greater growth in non-renewable production in the third quarter meant that the share of green energy remained at 53.5% of the total, half a percentage point lower than in the same period of the previous year.

Installed renewable energy capacity in Spain increased by 2,369 MW during this period, a 2.7% quarterly rise, reaching 90,823 MW, which represents 67.6% of the national electricity grid. Most of this expansion came from solar photovoltaic energy, which added 2,208 MW during the quarter, reaching a total of 37,352 MW. Wind power added 202 MW (32,770 MW total), while the remaining renewables remained stable or experienced slight decreases. Over the past year, green energy capacity has grown by 9.7%, with an additional 8,008 MW. This volume represents one of the highest growth rates in recent years, with photovoltaics as the main driver: another 6,835 megawatts, a 22.4% increase.

New decree and the PLATER

The Catalan government is trying to reverse the situation in order to meet its renewable energy targets. Two important developments have taken place in recent weeks. Firstly,The new renewable energy decree has been approvedwhich aims to promote green energy generation facilities. Furthermore, the Department of Territory already has the preliminary work for the PLATER (Territorial Plan for Renewable Energies), which is currently being presented in the different regions. This plan should facilitate new installations and, in the words of the Minister, Sílvia Paneque, "make the energy transition compatible with the preservation of the territory," as she stated a few days ago in a parliamentary response. "We will prioritize human-modified areas, and we will also actively listen to the entire territory," Paneque emphasized, making it clear that the Government will ensure the orderly development of the electricity grid in Catalonia. She also ruled out large-scale privately owned electricity transmission lines. "All electricity transmission infrastructure implemented in the country will be publicly owned," she said.