Renewables: the boom and everything that's missing

BarcelonaA decade after the Paris Agreement, despite denialist theories spearheaded by the Donald Trump administration, climate change is here. And it's worse than predicted. "The Earth's vital signs have deteriorated far more than humans have ever witnessed." This is the warning froma reportA coalition of 15,000 scientists from around the world on International Climate Change Day. The study's lead author, Professor William Ripple of Oregon State University (USA), asserts: "Life on our planet is clearly threatened." "The hard truth is that we have failed to keep the temperature rise below 1.5 degrees," said UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the start of COP30. "Every fraction of a degree [of temperature increase] means more hunger, displacement, and loss, especially for the least responsible," he warned.

Examples of the consequences of this climate change have been experienced in recent years in our country. For instance, the devastating storm that ravaged the Valencian Community or the historic three-year drought in Catalonia. The consequence is clear. In addition to the economic losses, it is estimated that 28% of the trees in Catalan forests died during this drought. Heat waves, droughts, and floods affected a quarter of all regions in the European Union (EU) in the summer of 2025, causing aggregate macroeconomic losses estimated at 43 billion euros. In fact, even The insurance business has had to adapt to climate changeJuan Satrústegui, risk director at Mapfre Re, Mapfre's reinsurance unit, explains that climate change is causing a significant variation in the frequency and intensity of weather events that result in major damage. Large companies such as Aon and Swiss Re have publishedextensive studies on the impact of climate change

But it's not all bad news. In recent years, progress has been made, for example, in promoting renewable energies, free from the emissions that are crippling the planet. The first half of 2025 has led to... For the first time in history, the dominant energy source for electricity production is not fossil fuels.Renewables increased by 363 TWh (+7.7%), reaching 5,072 TWh, while coal-fired generation decreased by 31 TWh, to 4,896 TWh, according to thethink tankBritish Ember.

Spain in the lead, Catalonia at the back

To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 (the Spanish and European objective), it is necessary, on the one hand, to electrify the economy; not only households, but also industry and transport (although the slow growth of the electric carAnd, on the other hand, it is necessary to develop renewable energy generation, to generate biogas and hydrogen. Professor Tomás Gómez, from the University of Comillas and a member of the former National Energy Commission, has made his calculations. He believes that electricity demand in Spain in 2035 will be between 377 and 480 TWh, above the 329.6 TWh forecast in the National Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC), and well above the 230 TWh forecast for 2025. Distribution, which after the major blackout of April 28th we have learned is... Together, they have a saturation of 83%.Last September, the third vice-president of the Spanish government and Minister for Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, announced an investment of €13.59 billion in electricity transmission networks by 2030. The Catalan Energy Outlook (Proencat) estimates that €84.361 billion will need to be invested by 2030, broken down as follows: €10 million for generation, €13.256 billion for infrastructure and the electricity grid, €15 billion for energy efficiency and savings, and €4.594 billion for the use of thermal renewables.

The development of renewables has been key to the growth of the Spanish economy at a much faster pace than its European partners. There are two key factors: with more renewables, the price of electricity is cheaper, leading to significant economic competitiveness. The other factor is independence. An economy like Spain's, which must import fossil fuels, can achieve energy self-sufficiency with renewables.

But while renewable electricity generation in Spain as a whole already accounts for more than half (55.8% in 2024, according to Red Eléctrica), Catalonia has not kept pace. Only 21.6% of generation in 2024 was renewable. In 2010, when the ARA (Renewable Energy Area) was created, renewables contributed 14.7%. The situation could worsen if the nuclear plant closure schedule is met. Last year, nuclear plants supplied 56.7% of Catalonia's electricity, according to data from the Catalan Energy Institute (ICAEN). To boost renewable energy, the Government has just approved a new decree that also includes regulations on energy storage. key element for maintaining the proper functioning of the systemIn addition, the Territorial Plan for Renewable Energies (Plater) is being developed to promote installations, especially solar and wind power.