Strategic Renewable Projects to Revitalise Regions Affected by Coal and Nuclear Closures in Spain
The Ministry for Ecological Transition in Spain has launched a call for interest aimed at the energy sector, investors, and social agents to identify viable renewable energy generation and storage projects within designated just transition nodes. This initiative forms part of the broader deployment of the Just Transition Strategy, which aims to accelerate economic revitalisation in regions affected by the shutdown of coal-fired power plants, mining towns, and inactive nuclear facilities without reconversion plans.
Launched in 2019, the Just Transition Strategy is a core pillar of Spain's energy policy designed to support the country's decarbonisation efforts. It emphasises creating alternative jobs, stabilising local populations, and diversifying the regional economies that have historically depended on carbon-intensive activities. The ultimate goal is to maximise economic and social benefits from the energy transition while mitigating its short-term negative impacts.
The primary instrument to facilitate this transformation has been the allocation of capacity rights for new renewable generation and storage projects. Legislative measures introduced through Royal Decree-Law 17/2019 granted the government authority to organise capacity contests, considering technical, economic, social, and environmental impact criteria. Such an approach enables prioritisation of initiatives with significant employment potential and strong local roots.
Since then, the government has expanded the scope of these nodes through subsequent decrees. Royal Decree-Law 23/2020 initially established a list, subsequently extended by Royal Decree-Law 8/2023 and recently updated by Royal Decree-Law 7/2026. On 14 April 2026, the Council of Ministers declared the Maciñeira node (400 kV) as a new site for just transition, reinforcing Spain's network for accommodating renewable developments.
To date, capacity contests have been held in nodes such as Mudejar, Meirama, Narcea, La Pereda, and La Lancha, all linked to thermal plant closures. The government has also developed specific procedures for renewable synchronous facilities and storage at sites like Garoña, Lada, Guardo, and La Robla to enhance system stability.
However, some nodes remain undelivered, with unallocated capacity rights. It is within this context that the new call for interest seeks fresh market information on potential projects, their technical and environmental viability, and feedback from companies, authorities, and civil society. This will help in designing subsequent capacity contests with greater precision.
Furthermore, the initiative is designed to identify the most attractive investment sites and the conditions needed for their development. It also offers a forward-looking capacity to select future nodes of just transition based on criteria like environmental sensitivity and infrastructural compatibility, including potential sites with nuclear access points.
Environmental impact analysis forms a core part of this process, with the Ministry stressing that project suitability depends not only on economic interest but also on environmental protection standards and existing infrastructure robustness. Strategic planning tools will support decision making to ensure alignment with ecological and regional sustainability objectives.
Interested companies must submit proposals for each node through a dedicated form between 16 April and 15 June 2026. While submission does not grant future rights or priorities, it will provide essential data to enable the regulator to improve capacity allocation mechanisms that support the broader energy and territorial policies.
Through this initiative, the government aims to foster a model of energy transition that not only reduces emissions but reinvents the productive fabric of affected regions. Success will depend on attracting private investment with regulatory certainty and ensuring that selected projects deliver lasting environmental, employment, and economic benefits.