What children will we leave to our world?

Many of my generation felt challenged by the question “What world will we leave to our children?”. Forged, since Rio 92, in the first international agreements on CO₂ emissions, we have worked to make development compatible within the dynamics of ecosystems. The question today is “What children will we leave to our world?”. What values does the society that discusses energy transition have? Do we assume collective and generational responsibilities, with rigor, while resolving contradictions? In the world of AI, will we be able to preserve the capacities for analyzing complex issues, for relating scientific, technical, and humanistic knowledge to respond to the challenges we will face?

I have closely experienced issues that have shaken the European energy landscape. From my experience at the Council of European Energy Regulators (ACER), I have understood a dimension of the issue that deserves attention and reflection. 

From the conflict in Ukraine, I have seen the importance of being integrated into a single electricity system at the European level and the importance of having a very well-designed, redundant, and digitized network.

Regarding energy prices, when they were extraordinarily high, I learned that public intervention – although necessary – must be very well designed to be effective, considering the high level of dependence on third countries that supply us with the primary resource.

From the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, which left Germany at real risk of gas shortages, I have seen that to maintain social and economic order and restore energy flows, anything is done at any price and at any environmental cost.

From the blackout of April 2025, I learned that the technical reality of the electricity system is increasingly complex, especially when renewables advance without a corresponding increase in demand and flexibility. For this reason, technical restrictions cannot be ignored when planning. 

These are four learned lessons that are useful when analyzing the Territorial Sectorial Plan for Renewable Energies of Catalonia (Plater): 1. Security depends on energy infrastructure, especially on generation technologies and the design of internal electrical grids and interconnections; 2. To have affordable prices, dependence on third countries must be reduced; 3. In the face of supply problems, any measure will be taken to restore it, as it is the top priority; 4. Transforming the electrical model from fossil technologies to renewables has technical restrictions that must be known and respected.

Renewable energies are not an end in themselves. They are a means, the best and most viable tool we currently have in Europe and Catalonia to guarantee the security of supply that keeps our society functioning at an adequate price while reducing emissions. Faced with these objectives, there is no excuse.that is valid.

It is an obligation and a responsibility of every society and every government to plan energy infrastructures in an orderly, consistent manner, with technical and economic sense.

It is from this perspective that we must critically analyze the Plater, recognizing its bravery in facing a debate that is always uncomfortable due to the contradictions it forces us to confront. And knowing that the alternative to planning is disorder and inefficiency that will weigh down our country.

I could empathize with many of the particular conflicts generated by the current Plater. It is legitimate and necessary for everyone to conduct their analysis based on their own criteria and experience. Likewise, an executive decision-making process that considers the most rigorous and plausible allegations (I hope they will be a majority) is required for the plan to be approved by the summer of 2027 at the latest. If not, we will have failed as a society in this challenge. 

The resolution of the Plater (in substance and form) is an opportunity to regain self-esteem as a society and momentum. And so that new generations understand that being co-responsible for the impacts we generate is an obligation. That fraternity with other territories and future generations must be above particular interest, unscientific dogma, and demagoguery. That the viability of the society we know in terms of security and economic stability depends on a substantial and ordered transformation of the territory with the help of autochthonous energy resources with maximum symbiosis with the environment. That contradictions are faced and resolved with honest debate, method, and checks and balances. That one must be executive and that whoever has the responsibility must make decisions. That we all owe loyalty if we have participated knowing the rules of the game. Out of respect for ourselves and for our fellow citizens of today and tomorrow.

Hopefully, we will know how to take advantage of the Plater debate to forge a more mature society, proud of the children it leaves in the world – and in the country –, because from the values that are consolidated at moments like this, the capacity to resolve the future challenges that will come will emerge.