This Spanish region is Europe’s champion in renewable energy production

Few might have heard of Castile and Leon, yet it is only surpassed by Norway in that respect

When it comes to progress in the transition towards renewable source production and consumption we tend to look to the North, where Scandinavian countries have already forged a path a long time ago. However, according to data presented by Energynews.es, if we look at the regional level the undisputed leader in renewable energy production is the autonomous region of Castile and Leon in Spain.

In 2021, the electrical energy mix of that region contained 89% produced by renewable sources, such as solar and wind power. That is more than double when compared to the rest of Spain, which averages 42.4% in that respect. In Europe overall, only Norway has better numbers, where out of the total electricity produced, 96.7% came from renewables.

Castile and Leon produces almost a fifth of all renewable power in Spain

Castile and Leon is the vast region spanning the interior of the Iberian Peninsula north of Madrid. In 2021, it accounted for 19.4% of all renewable power sources installed in Spain. It is the leader in hydropower (25.7%) and also in wind power, with 22.8% of all wind turbines in the country located there.

In addition, for the next four years, the Junta de Castilla y León (as the regional government is known) foresees an increase in renewable power of around 3,000 MW. For the current administration’s term, the commitment is set at 2,000 new MW of photovoltaic, and another 1,000 MW of wind power installation, with a total target of 7,300 MW in production. The next objective in terms of wind energy, in accordance with the strategies for renewable energies in Europe and Spain, is 10,000 MW in 2030.

In addition, the region’s Ministry of Economy and Finance is promoting the development of photovoltaic self-consumption. At the end of 2021, 58 MW of photovoltaic power for self-consumption had been installed in the Community.

That figure is admittedly small compared to the general renewables production, but there has been significant growth in the installation of solar panels for residential electricity production compared to 2020. And this year for the first six months already 345 new MW of solar panels have been installed on rooftops. That’s a growth rate of about 600%!