Galicia On Tuesday, together with Xunta’s 2025 budgets, it approved regulations that last Monday brought wind farm employers’ associations (AEE), electricity companies (Aelec) and renewable energy producers (APPA) into a state of war. The accounts for the next financial year of the autonomous community include financial and administrative measures as accompanying regulations; reauthorization obligation to wind farms more than 25 years And facilities companies that sign energy purchase agreements –PPAfor English abbreviation – with Galician companies.
According to wind sector calculations, this will force almost half (45%) Wind energy works in Galiciaapproximately 2,007 megawatts (MW) to be spent in the coming years re-strengthen –replacing old wind turbines with newer, more powerful ones–. These beings 2,888 mills concentrated in 86 parksThose over the age of 20 and 25 may be affected by new regulations within 10 years.
Actions with the new regulation re-enhancement will happen Mandatory for existing wind farms that have reached 25 years of age since its establishment. If the useful life of wind turbines exceeds 25 years according to the original projects, this period can be extended up to 30 years.
Galicia PPAs
On the other hand, the document states that authorization requests for wind power plants It will not be accepted in currently occupied areas except in exceptional cases.. One of these exceptions is if promoters undertake to formalize energy supply contracts (PPA).
This PPA should provide at least: 50% of the energy produced goes to local or industrial consumers within the projects’ area of influence or, if this is not possible, within Galicia. Minimum duration of the contract five years.
On the warpath
About these topicsEnergy associations emphasized the importance of parks with a lifespan of more than 25 years.They work with absolute guarantee“In fact, annual renewable electricity production from wind farms is in many cases higher than they were at the time of commissioning, due to upgrades and investment throughout their lifecycle, and this is expected to improve after 25 years. Park operators should freely make management decisions.” Extending and restoring life“, stated the employers in their joint statement.
On the other hand, three associations condemned this as a measure regarding the obligation of wind and hydro promoters to sell part of their energy to customers in the autonomous community. “It’s against the law”. “Permits for the operation should not hinder the free market. An obligation of the kind proposed in the bill, competitive disruption and market fragmentation, constitutional principles in Spain, especially market unitAnd Single European market”, They are commenting.
Xunta also launched a cape for Galician renewables totaling 2,600 megawatts (MW) in projects that have been paralyzed in the courts. The document regulates: voluntary reprocessing Wind farms and evacuation infrastructures that are blocked or encounter administrative difficulties. Developers may opt for a new joint processing of previous administrative and construction permits, regardless of the current status of those permits.
Budgets
Xunta’s 2025 budget is as follows: 13.954 million euros, These were approved yesterday in the plenary session of the Galician Parliament with votes only in favor of the PP, after they did not include even one of the 1,195 partial amendments that reached the final debate in the autonomous Parliament.
The Galician PP merely approved the regulation in question, which led to opposition charge against what he called “malicious” change. According to BNG MP Olalla Rodil, “128 pages of self-amendments” were made while processing nearly 50 edits after including popular ones.
