Pedro Sánchez urges the acceleration of interconnections and calls for 'forging a true Energy Union' so that Europe has 'the cheapest electricity in the world'

The President of the Government of Spain has stated that Spain will redouble its commitment to the energy transition, as it is "the greatest economic opportunity in generations" and the only path to prosperity.

IFEMA, Madrid

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The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, has announced that Spain will redouble its commitment to the energy transition, accelerating the deployment of renewable energies, especially wind power, and has called for "forging a true Energy Union" so that Europe has "the cheapest electricity in the world." To this end, he urged the acceleration of interconnections to put Spain's "successful" energy model "at the service of all member states."

He made these remarks during the inauguration of the annual European wind energy industry event, WindEurope 2026, organised by WindEurope in collaboration with the Spanish Wind Energy Association (AEE). Also in attendance were the Third Vice-President of the Government of Spain and Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Sara Aagesen, and the European Commissioner for Energy, Dan Jørgensen.

Pedro Sánchez referred to the effects of conflicts such as those in the Middle East and the invasion of Ukraine, which demonstrate that "energy shocks can originate anywhere in the world." "A foreign leader decides and 27 European economies are left at their mercy. Let's face it, this will continue as long as we depend on fossil fuels," he lamented, noting that the war in Iran has been "the final warning," with a daily deficit of 10 million barrels of oil and a third of the Gulf's energy infrastructure destroyed. In this regard, he stressed that "we're not talking about bottlenecks, we're talking about nooses around our necks. These are not accidents, they are the result of decisions. These are not sudden events; they are events with consequences that can last for months, and we'll see if there aren't consequences that last for years or decades."

According to the International Energy Agency, the crisis stemming from the conflict in the Middle East "is worse than those of 1973, 1979, and 2022 combined." He lamented that lessons haven't been learned and warned that "we face a very clear choice: turbines or turbulence," considering that the bill for the European Union due to the increase in oil prices already exceeds 22 billion euros.

"Green pragmatism beats fossil dogmatism by a landslide"

Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

Therefore, using the play on words "Wind Europe is the way for Europe to win," he highlighted the "treasure" that Spain possesses: sun and wind, which "was undervalued in the last decade." "Each fiscal year with its 'sun tax' was a year of energy slavery for our country," he denounced. Instead, he asserted that in the last eight years "Spain has demonstrated that green pragmatism beats fossil dogmatism" and "that it is possible to base the energy model of the Eurozone's fourth-largest economy on renewable energy."

In fact, he emphasised that it is "the only path to prosperity and the best protection against any energy crisis, as recognised by all international organisations," enabling savings of €5.1 billion in 2022 thanks to the Iberian solution, and resulting in electricity being 20% cheaper by March 2026 than last year, while gas prices soared by 60% and the price of Brent crude registered its largest monthly increase ever. In this regard, he indicated that "Italy uses twice as much gas as Spain: the price difference between the two countries exceeded €100 during the first 31 days of the price war."

Given these figures, he asserted that "the energy transition is not a slogan; it is the green ticket to the future, the greatest economic opportunity in generations," impacting all sectors. For example, he pointed out that, in the midst of the energy shock, March ended with 211,000 more people registered with Social Security, reaching 22 million for the first time. "Spain is growing. Our economy is advancing, and it's doing so while we reduce emissions. With decarbonisation, cleaner air, lower energy prices, greater diversification of supply, more jobs, wealth for regions and competitiveness for industry. A greener economy improves our strategic autonomy," he stated.

In this way, he guaranteed that Spain will continue to commit to the Green Deal. "We are not content with having the cheapest electricity in Europe. We are working to ensure that Europe has the cheapest electricity in the world," he emphasised as an objective, which in his view requires "forging a true Energy Union." "Europe must be able to decide for itself so that Europeans stop paying for the wrong decisions of others on their bills," he said.

Streamlining interconnections and a special tax on extraordinary profits for oil and gas companies

Thus, he called for increased interconnections so that "our successful model can benefit all Member States," given that "oil from the Gulf takes a month to reach our continent" and "Spanish electricity cannot take another ten years to cross the Pyrenees." Just as with the illegal invasion of Ukraine, he believes that solidarity must be maintained between States and by companies. Consequently, he explained that Spain has requested the European Commission to establish a special tax on the extraordinary profits of oil and gas companies.

"At this difficult time, I am confident that they will rise to this challenge to help consumers," he said.

Prioritising projects with local impact and increasing the capacity of the electricity system

Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

The President of the Government of Spain recalled that today marks one month since the entry into force of the Royal Decree-Law "with the largest energy tax cut in our history: €2.5 billion," also including "ambitious structural reforms for our energy model." He pointed out that the goal is clear: to ensure that, by 2030, 81% of Spain's electricity comes from renewable sources, as established in the National Energy and Climate Plan. To this end, he explained that the government is pursuing an energy policy based on three main pillars. The first is accelerating the deployment of renewables, with less bureaucracy and more investment, while also considering the needs of the affected areas. He announced that they will "prioritise the development of projects that have positive and tangible impacts on the regions, and implement a new milestone system to expedite the granting of licenses." Repowering projects will also be given priority, with lower costs and shorter timelines, he indicated. "The message is clear: we will accelerate the deployment of renewables, particularly wind power," while continuing to strengthen the transmission and distribution infrastructure, he stated.

He promised that "connection to the grid will not be the obstacle that hinders projects" and that the capacity of the electricity system will be increased in two ways: the 2030 Planning proposal, endowed with €13.6 billion to reinforce and adapt the transmission network; and a 62% increase in grid investment. This will be complemented by €1.365 billion from the Recovery Plan and €2.3 billion for storage projects. These steps, he said, follow the progress made by Spain, which produces almost 60% of its energy from clean sources, primarily wind power. Spain is the second European country and the sixth worldwide in installed wind capacity, with a 42% increase since 2018. Last year alone, 275 new wind turbines were commissioned. Nevertheless, Spain aims to double its installed capacity by the end of the decade and, to that end, he announced that work is underway on upcoming calls for tenders for access capacity at transmission network nodes, specifically for wind energy. "Spain is the best country to make investments profitable," he emphasised.

The second priority of the energy policy cited by Sánchez is job creation and wealth generation within the country. The wind energy sector already represents 0.25% of Spain's GDP, figures similar to those of other cutting-edge sectors such as biotechnology, and generates 40,000 direct jobs. "The challenge is for this wealth to reach every corner of the country to help populations in rural areas," stated Pedro Sánchez, who called on all levels of government to expedite projects and "work together."

Support for innovation

Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

Finally, he cited support for innovation as the third and final priority, in a context where Spain has leading companies in renewable energy, is the world's fifth-largest exporter of wind turbines, with a turnover approaching €2 billion annually, and leads global innovation in offshore wind. Two years after the signing of the Spanish Wind Energy Charter, he believes that the first platforms will be built "very soon," and that €212 million in aid has recently been approved to adapt state ports for the deployment of wind power and other offshore renewables. "We need more renewables, more wind farms, better distributed and more innovative, to guarantee affordable, secure, and clean energy," he added.

The President concluded by noting that, 42 years after the first wind farm began operating in Spain, a single wind turbine can now supply 2,500 homes, compared to just 60 at the time, and Spain has 22,000 turbines. "Wind energy, and renewables as a whole, have made us more competitive. They have helped us combat climate change, but above all, they have made us more energy free. Today, some still refuse to break free from this dependence that makes us hostages to the geopolitics of chaos. Spain has decided to break these chains of energy dependence. Spain chooses to be free. That is why we will redouble our commitment to the energy transition, with greater determination and stronger arguments," he concluded.

Meeting with the European Commissioner for Energy and Housing

Before the inauguration, the President of the Government of Spain met with the European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jorgensen, with whom he discussed the policy levers required in Europe to guarantee access to housing and the availability of energy at affordable prices. The head of the Executive highlighted the urgent need for a coordinated response to both structural and cyclical problems in these areas, to advance strategic autonomy, and to curb speculation, as these affect well-being and social cohesion.

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