This Monday, 22 July, the Congress of Deputies will vote on the validation of Royal Decree-Law 7/2025, known as the anti-blackout decree, a key measure promoted by the Government to reinforce the security of the electricity system following the blackout that occurred on 28 April.

The text, approved by the Council of Ministers on 24 June, includes measures such as the activation of battery storage, streamlining of administrative procedures for renewable projects, faster permitting and authorisations, and a new framework of subsidies for electro-intensive industries. The decree also includes regional concessions to Catalonia and the Basque Country.

The outcome of the vote remains uncertain. According to parliamentary procedure, Congress must validate the decree by a simple majority, meaning more votes in favour than against, excluding abstentions.

To ensure approval, the Government must secure at least 176 affirmative votes, although if abstentions occur, a simple majority can be achieved with fewer, provided the votes in favour outnumber those against among those present.

The bloc formed by PSOE, Sumar, ERC, Junts, PNV, EH Bildu, BNG, and Coalición Canaria has confirmed its support, having secured commitments and concessions in the final text. This group is expected to provide between 170 and 175 votes in favour.

The Partido Popular (PP) maintains an official position of rejection, although it faces internal pressure from sectors linked to the electricity and industrial sectors to change its vote or abstain. So far, the leadership under Alberto Núñez Feijóo has not confirmed a definitive position, although it has been stated that it will be unified.

Podemos has indicated it will not support the decree, arguing that it was not negotiated with their group and lacks significant structural reforms. Last Thursday in La Coruña, Podemos spokesperson Pablo Fernández declared: “This is a decree that does not prevent future blackouts” and “does not tackle the energy oligopoly.”

He further stated that the text “also fails to establish compensation systems to prevent voltage drops like those that caused the blackout.” The party has criticised the decree’s lack of ambition regarding the energy transition and has not yet decided whether it will vote against or abstain.

Vox is expected to vote against, in line with its usual stance opposing energy market regulation and ecological transition policies.

If PP, Podemos, and Vox all vote against, the decree could fail. However, a partial abstention or support from some PP MPs could allow its approval by a narrow margin.

Today, ten regional associations and clusters representing the renewable energy value chain across Spain jointly addressed a letter to all parliamentary groups in Congress.

In the document, they express their full backing for Royal Decree-Law 7/2025, underscoring that it includes technical measures long demanded by the sector to ensure system stability, support the integration of renewables, and expedite the energy transition.

According to Iker Chasco, managing director of Enercluster and one of the signatories, “this regulation is the result of years of demand from the Spanish renewable sector, which needs a stable and predictable framework to consolidate our role as an international benchmark in the energy transition.” He emphasised that the coordinated action of ten regional renewable entities reflects the urgency and strategic relevance of this legislative package.

The signatory organisations—spanning regions from Asturias to the Balearic Islands—highlight that the decree introduces critical updates: enabling renewable technologies to directly support grid balancing, accelerating infrastructure planning and repowering, boosting energy storage, and improving the legal certainty of projects through an updated milestone system.

They warn that rejecting the decree would deter investment, hinder access to clean and affordable energy, and heighten vulnerability to future energy crises like that triggered by the war in Ukraine.”an essential tool to reinforce the electricity system, accelerate the energy transition, and reduce the vulnerability of the current model.”

The main associations in the electricity and renewable sector, including AEE, APPA, UNEF, Aelec, and AEGE, have issued a joint statement warning that rejecting the decree will have “serious consequences for supply security and investment attraction.” They also believe that approval is essential to maintain industrial competitiveness and regulatory stability.

Santiago Gómez Ramos, president of UNEF, states: “This decree is key for Spain to consolidate its leadership in renewable energy and avoid scenarios like last April.”

According to AEE, its approval would unblock projects stalled for over a year and a half. APPA Renovables considers that “the decree includes long-awaited regulatory improvements to speed up the implementation of strategic initiatives.”

Marina Serrano, president of Aelec, asserts: “The PP has the opportunity to demonstrate that it prioritises the country’s energy security over partisan interests.”

At the same time, the Fundación Renovables has voiced its support for the decree, highlighting that it is “an essential tool to reinforce the electricity system, accelerate the energy transition, and reduce the vulnerability of the current model.”

On the eve of the vote, the Government and the associations are intensifying efforts to secure the necessary support, but the outcome will ultimately depend on how parliamentary forces align in a decision that could define the trajectory of Spain’s energy transition.