By Kristin Hunt
Spain is making major changes to its grid. (click here) By 2050, the country plans to transition to 100 percent renewable electricity — and it’s already shuttering multiple coal mines to get there.
As The Guardian reports, the 2050 plan would slash Spain’s carbon emissions by 90 percent, when compared to 1990 levels. It calls for no new licenses for fracking wells, hydrocarbon exploitation, and fossil fuel drills, a move that builds on the country’s previous announcement that it would close most of its coal mines by the end of this year.
The government will have to install a minimum 3,000 megawatts of wind and solar power capacity each year over the next decade to reach its goal. To that end, Spain is also earmarking a fifth of the state budget for measures to address climate change. The strategy, as outlined in a draft law, would allow the country to decarbonize its economy soon after the 2050 electricity transition. It would exceed some of the EU’s current environmental targets in the process, potentially positioning Spain as a leader on climate action.
“The draft Spanish climate law is an excellent example of the implementation of the Paris agreement,” Christina Figueres, a former executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, said in a statement. “It sets a long-term goal, provides incentives on scaling up zero emission technologies and cares about a good transition for the workforce.
“As an early mover Spain will gain economically and create new jobs in the renewables sector.”...
