The Haney Energy Saving Group : Renewable Energy in Spain Is Taking
a Beating
SOURCE
MADRID — Years of disastrous policies, coupled with the economic crisis, have recast renewable energy
in Spain.
Once touted as the embodiment of progress, wealth and...
More
The Haney Energy Saving Group : Renewable Energy in Spain Is Taking
a Beating
SOURCE
MADRID — Years of disastrous policies, coupled with the economic crisis, have recast renewable energy
in Spain.
Once touted as the embodiment of progress, wealth and sustainability, the industry is now seen
as an unwanted and costly extravagance.
The policy turnaround started in 2010 but picked up momentum with a government decree in July aimed
at closing a widening gap between the cost of electricity generation and what consumers pay — known as
the tariff deficit.
The decree’s impact has all but erased public support for renewable power, raising alarms in the industry
inside and outside Spain.
“We’ve gone from misery to ruin,” said Jaume Margarit, director of the Association of Renewable Energy
Producers.
In essence, the decree aims to stop an unsustainable annual growth of the tariff deficit, which over the
years has built up a cumulative debt of about €26 billion, or $35 billion.
In an embarra
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