Spain faces a key regulatory decision. The government has increased investment limits for electricity networks by 60% for the coming years, aligning economic policy with the energy transition. However, the sector warns of a “fundamental inconsistency” in the remuneration methodology for distributors proposed by the CNMC (National Markets and Competition Commission), which could prevent the actual implementation of these investments.
In an interview with Strategic Energy Europe , Alejandro Labanda , spokesperson for the Green and Connected Spain Alliance, argues that the conflict between the two regulatory frameworks threatens the country’s competitiveness: “The Ministry allows for a higher total investment, but the CNMC recognizes a unit cost that is too low for new connections. Thus, the most needed infrastructure will not be built.”
While the actual costs of expanding the grid—new substations, lines in saturated areas—are around €350/kW, the Commission’s proposal sets a maximum of approximately €230/kW. According to the expert, this limit will discourage expansion precisely where there is no capacity, leaving new strategic energy consumption areas without a connection.
Currently, 42 GW of projects with access permits could be connected in the short term if grid capacity were available. Another 66 GW applied for access in 2024, but only 6 GW received authorization. For the Alliance, this situation reveals two bottlenecks: one administrative and the other physical, directly linked to delays in the deployment of electrical infrastructure.
The industry also fears that the 37% reduction in recognized maintenance costs will lead to a deterioration in the quality of supply, increasing the risk of failures in an increasingly demanding system.
Labanda warns that the impact extends beyond the energy sector: it affects the attraction of industrial investment , housing development at a time of high price pressure, and projects involving heavy electric vehicles , logistics, and data centers. The window of opportunity, he emphasizes, “won’t be open forever.” He also cautions: “Major industrial decisions are being made now. If Spain doesn’t have a sufficient grid, those projects will go to other countries.”
The new regulatory framework is set to come into effect on January 1, 2026 , and will remain in force for six years. The CNMC (National Markets and Competition Commission) plans to approve the final proposal in the coming days. For the Alliance, this is a moment that demands institutional alignment: “The challenge is no longer technological, but regulatory.”
The electricity system faces a double challenge: on the one hand, emerging industrial demand (electric mobility, hydrogen, data centers); on the other, a transmission and distribution infrastructure already stretched to its limits, where more than 83% of nodes are saturated or at high risk of congestion. The expansion of the electricity grid will determine whether Spain consolidates a renewable industrial model, with employment and added value, or whether the energy transition proceeds without the capacity to connect those who make it possible.
