The control session held on 17 September in the Congress of Deputies placed grid planning at the centre of the energy transition debate.

The Third Vice-President and Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Sara Aagesen, defended the new 2025-2030 Transmission Grid Plan, which foresees €13.59 billion of investment – 65% more than the current plan – to strengthen infrastructure and guarantee electricity supply in a context of accelerated electrification. “This plan is the pillar for meeting decarbonisation targets; we need it to be a living and flexible tool,” she stressed.

During the session, the Basque Group (EAJ-PNV) welcomed the increase in investment and the long-term vision, but warned that projects will not materialise until 2027 unless transitional measures are adopted. MP Idoia Sagastizabal called for greater flexibility in planning and the use of idle grid capacity, pointing out that current regulations prevent the use of already installed connections.

Aagesen agreed on the need to optimise existing infrastructure and offered an “outstretched hand” to the autonomous communities and all parliamentary groups to process the plan as a legislative project. She also recalled that the Government had tried to approve an “anti-blackout” decree-law, rejected months ago by Congress, which included measures to maximise grid use. The minister assured that these proposals would be reintroduced during the legislative process.

She emphasised that the plan will be accompanied by an attractive regulatory framework for investment, complemented by European funds. The aim is to ensure that grid operators and electricity companies have stable and profitable conditions to implement the plan on time.

This vision is key to enabling the grid to absorb the expected growth in renewable generation, industrial electrification and new loads such as electric mobility. According to the PNIEC, renewables should account for around 81% of electricity generation by 2030, which requires accelerating grid reinforcements.

Debate on resilience and transition

The Popular Group used its intervention to question the Ministry’s budget execution and highlight shortcomings in rural Spain. Aagesen responded with an overview of the policies implemented: the Climate Change Law, the 2021-2030 PNIEC, the hydrogen and storage roadmaps, and the mobilisation of more than €13 billion in decarbonisation projects.

She reiterated her proposal for a State Pact on the Climate Emergency, urging the opposition to cooperate rather than block structural reforms.

The strengthening of grid planning represents a signal of stability for investors and renewable project developers, at a time when the growth of installed capacity requires streamlining the connection of new generation and improving system resilience.

The explicit references to making better use of the grid and speeding up procedures are seen as necessary steps to avoid bottlenecks that could slow down the rollout of renewables. If the plan is not implemented on time, there could be delays in strategic projects and higher integration costs.

For the private sector, the key will be the definition of the remuneration framework and the Government’s ability to build consensus that provides legal certainty for investments. The combination of ambitious planning, financial incentives and territorial dialogue will be crucial to achieving PNIEC targets and moving towards a decarbonised power system by 2030.