Pere Borràs: "We need to promote distributed generation by extending the distance at which shared self-consumption on the ground is permitted."

Pere Borràs, director of Generation at Estabanell, calls for accelerating the processing of permits to advance renewable energy and asks to extend the limit of shared self-consumption to a radius of 5 km to better utilize this renewable energy and boost distributed generation.

In Catalonia, the debate surrounding energy projects is particularly intense and often polarized. Given this reality, what would you say to a citizen who feels that the energy transition is being carried out "at the expense" of the region?

— At Estabanell, we emphasize that the permitting process is extremely rigorous and must always obtain the approval of all relevant departments and institutions: urban planning, heritage, environment, roads, etc. All possible perspectives are considered, and any of those involved influence the final project. Only projects that meet every single requirement move forward. Therefore, the process guarantees its viability one hundred percent. Proof of this is that of all the projects that have begun the permitting process since 2019, 37% have been rejected for various reasons, 13% have been approved, and the rest are still pending. Therefore, it is a demanding process, but the public can rest assured that only projects that are beneficial for the area are approved.

What do you propose to make the return to society evident, measurable, and directly linked to generation projects?

— Renewables are essential for moving away from fossil fuels. Therefore, a well-integrated renewable energy generation project, proportionate to its surroundings, is an opportunity to help curb climate change and has a direct impact on the environment. Strategically, we are always at the mercy of energy volatility. If we recall, when the war in Ukraine broke out, gas prices skyrocketed, and what we achieve with these installations is to limit external factors and make energy costs more stable. We are promoting more sustainable energy that reduces emissions, saves costs, and improves people's well-being and the competitiveness of businesses. One way to further enhance these advantages for consumers near generation facilities is to extend the current limit for shared self-consumption to a five-kilometer radius of renewable energy. Currently, for ground-mounted projects, this limit is only 500 meters, restricting the advantages that these types of installations can offer: more competitive prices for nearby consumers and greater grid resilience, since they are distributed projects located close to consumption.

In the regulatory context, the fact that Congress did not approve the so-called "anti-blackout" royal decree is still fresh in everyone's mind; what was your interpretation of that?

— We were surprised that such a technical and positive Royal Decree as this one wasn't approved. The good news is that some of the provisions contained in the Royal Decree-Law have been approved through smaller decrees, such as Royal Decree 997/2025 and the upcoming Royal Decree that will amend Royal Decree 244/2019 on self-consumption, and where we hope the modification of the 500-meter radius I explained earlier will be included.

And what assessment did he make of the latest decree law approved by Parliament on November 19?

— Something similar happened in Catalonia in July, when the emergency measures decree was repealed. It has since been modified and the Decree-Law of November 19th was published. This decree-law has improved the application process, streamlining and accelerating energy storage. It has clarified some doubts and facilitated self-consumption. What we are missing are measures that expedite and shorten processing times. One of the measures we at Estabanell advocate is that if the administration fails to meet the deadlines established in Decree-Law 16/2019, the developer should be able to proceed with a self-declaration confirming compliance with current requirements and regulations. This way, applications would not be blocked simply because a single agency is unresponsive.

The debate surrounding the permitting process is central to the renewable energy sector in Catalonia. How do you plan to engage in dialogue with the local communities?

— We explain ourselves where necessary, with complete transparency and objective data. We also take this opportunity to explain what we mentioned earlier: the procedure for implementing a renewable energy installation is absolutely rigorous, and this is the positive aspect. Catalonia continues to lag behind the rest of Spain in renewable energy generation, which forces us to rethink how we accelerate the energy transition. If we substantially and rapidly increase the deployment of renewables, we risk failing to meet the nuclear power plant closure schedule or creating energy dependence on other regions of Spain.

From your perspective, what role can renewable energy generation play in the country's reindustrialization? What opportunities can it open up for the productive sector and for the regions where the projects are located?

— This generation of renewable energy has a direct impact on the region: it generates revenue for municipalities in the form of taxes and provides income to landowners through land leases. The Obercat 2024-2080 report concludes that, during this period, an average of €170 million in revenue will be generated annually for municipalities and €91 million for landowners. The advantage is that these earnings are redistributed throughout the region, not just in the two towns that currently have nuclear power plants. In terms of employment, we are talking about 4,000 jobs per year during construction and an additional 29,000 direct and indirect jobs. However, the greatest potential of renewables lies in increasing the competitiveness of businesses and saving families money by reducing energy costs. Furthermore, given that distributed generation is more prevalent in Catalonia than in other parts of Spain, these benefits would be amplified by expanding the area of shared self-consumption through this type of generation.

Energy has been at the center of debate lately: first with the price surge of 2022 and, more recently, with the massive blackout of April 28. Do these events present an opportunity to connect more with the consumer?

— It's helping us reflect on what kind of energy model we want and what role we want to play as a country. We have sun and wind, which gives us a tremendous opportunity to build a more secure and sustainable energy system, one that is aligned with the interests of our region. It's up to us to harness this potential to move forward and position ourselves in relation to our neighbors. Furthermore, these events have also opened the door to discussing everything that will make the energy transition possible, with a more informed and active consumer: demand flexibility, energy storage, distributed renewable generation, smart grids, self-consumption, and new forms of energy participation. All of this shapes a more resilient and efficient model, where citizens cease to be passive actors and become key players in the system.