"Europa debe mantener con firmeza su agenda de transición energética"

Spain must steadfastly uphold its energy transition agenda, according to PwC, Iberdrola, and Naturgy. These companies agree on the need to speed up investments in grids, boost storage, and streamline permits to enhance energy security and tap into Spain's renewable potential. Geopolitical instability, exemplified by the Ukraine war and Middle East tensions, has once again placed energy security at the top of European priorities.

During the Geopolitical Transition Energy roundtable, held at the IV Green World & Sustainability Forum 2026, industry leaders from PwC, Iberdrola Renovables, and Naturgy emphasized the necessity of a strategic approach. They advocated for balancing long-term solutions focused on consolidating Spain's renewable potential with short-term measures to preserve thermal and desalination infrastructure that proved valuable during recent energy crises.

Iberdrola's Jos� Luis Adanero stressed that only a quarter of national energy consumption comes from renewable sources, highlighting the electric vehicle and industrial sectors as key challenges for the transition. He also supported the development of storage solutions to utilize excess solar and wind power, with hydroelectric pumping identified as a particularly competitive option given Spain's geographic conditions.

Naturgy's Juan Ferrero echoed the call for guaranteeing supply security, noting that the speed of replacing conventional technologies will depend on the deployment of batteries, pumping, international interconnections, and demand management mechanisms. He also warned of the necessity to modernize older solar parks.

The electrical infrastructure dominated the discussion, with PwC's Oscar Barrero warning that Spain is nearing 1,000 annual hours of zero or negative electricity prices, while renewable discharges reach 8% and reach 30% in certain nodes. To address this, he called for doubling investments in grids, anticipating planning, and prioritizing the connection of prepared projects.

Hybrid renewable and battery installations emerged as a way to absorb excess renewable energy and attract investments, according to Ferrero. Adanero and Barrero agreed that Spain has sufficient generation capacity to meet this new demand, which would allow for better utilization of existing facilities and distribution of fixed system costs.

Nuclear energy was also discussed, with Barrero emphasizing its role in combining competitiveness, stability, and grid services, highlighting the European strategy's three pillars: renewables, nuclear, and grids.