Renewables yes, with dialogue

"Renewables yes, but not like this" is the new cry of protest against the installation of a photovoltaic or wind farm. The phrase has caught on among environmental groups and individuals who have always demonstrated against nuclear power plants, coal, and oil, and who now, to avoid blatant contradiction, are shifting their stance and introducing an adversarial nuance. What is it? What does this "but not like this" mean? It depends: it could mean "not in front of my window," or "not in this landscape that we have preserved for tourism or for the natural environment," or "if my town can't benefit from the electricity generated, then no."

In the roundtables organized by ARA and the Catalan Energy Efficiency Cluster, Catalan companies promoting new renewable energy installations all agreed on the same point: dialogue with local councils and residents is proving useful in clarifying concepts and reducing tensions and fears. For example: a renewable energy installation can be dismantled, if necessary. Try dismantling a dam. Dialogue, in the case of Catalonia, is more than useful, it's essential: we are a region with a very dense coastline and pre-coastal area, where space for photovoltaic installations is scarce, and also with few areas where the wind blows strongly enough to make installing wind turbines profitable.

Let's not forget that only 15% of the electricity we consume in Catalonia comes from renewables, and the goal is to reach 50% by 2030. And let's not forget that nuclear power plants will be phased out until 2035. How do we become clean and competitive? And, above all, how do we avoid buying into the lies of Trump and his European imitators, who are against renewables for fossil fuel reasons?