The Wind Energy Business Association (AEE) presents once again the results of the Macroeconomic Study on the Impact of the Wind Energy Sector in Spain, prepared in collaboration with Deloitte.

This report highlights the key role of wind energy as an economic driver and emphasizes the indicators that characterize wind energy as a foundational technology for the socio-economic progress of the country.

Its industrial positioning and technological development, along with its positive impact on electricity prices and the environment, as well as the creation of high-value-added jobs, make wind energy a prime national asset that needs to be boosted, in addition to being a priority sector in the new framework of European industrial competitiveness and autonomy.

However, the sector faces significant challenges. Among the main findings of the report, the following stand out:

• Insufficient annual installation: Spain must significantly accelerate the deployment of new wind power to meet the 2030 targets. The annual installation is far from the required goals, which impacts the entire value chain. If wind energy does not meet its objectives, Spain will not meet its own.
• Prominence in the energy mix: Despite the low installation rate, wind energy represents over 30.5 GW, or 24% of the energy mix in terms of capacity, and already covers 25.6% of electricity demand, solidifying its position as Spain’s leading electricity technology.
• Global leadership: Spain remains a global wind energy leader, ranked 2nd in the EU and 6th in the world by installed capacity, and 5th as a global exporter of wind turbines in 2023.
• Territorial deployment: Wind energy is widely present across the country. Castilla y León continues to lead in generation and installed capacity, while Aragón ranks second and leads in new capacity installations in 2023. A total of 868 municipalities in 16 of the 17 autonomous communities host wind farms, amounting to 1,371 wind farms across the country.

Nevertheless, the wind energy sector emphasizes the importance of advancing key issues such as:

• Superior Public Interest: It is essential to transpose this concept from European legislation to a clear and harmonized legal framework at the national level, to standardize regional criteria and unlock wind energy projects by addressing administrative barriers or territorial challenges.
• Electrification: Measures are needed to boost the electrification of key sectors, reinforcing the link between clean energy and industry. Public instruments supporting the energy transition must be primarily directed towards increasing electricity demand.
• Industry: Spain has the entire wind energy value chain, with 287 industrial centers across 16 autonomous communities, and its viability depends on achieving an ambitious and effective European and national industrial policy that sustains our capabilities and competitiveness in a market under constant threat from third countries. The Net Zero Industrial Act (NZIA) and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) do not provide sufficient guarantees and could have adverse effects in their early years.
• Floating offshore wind: The full development of a regulatory framework with the Ministerial Order that designs the first auction and its call in 2025 is urgent to avoid losing the industrial opportunity as a country.
• Repowering: Repowering wind farms must become a national priority, incentivizing its deployment but never through impositions that could lead to economic losses for investors.
• Social acceptance: It is crucial to strengthen dialogue with local communities and foster transparency in all project phases. The sector and institutions must work well in advance, with pedagogy, sensitivity, and rigor, as we are witnessing a minor but growing social opposition that could delay the construction of wind farms in some regions.

Wind energy is not only essential for the energy transition and decarbonization but also for maintaining Spain’s industrial competitiveness and energy independence. AEE reiterates the need for a firm commitment from administrations and all involved stakeholders to overcome current challenges and harness wind energy’s full potential as a pillar of the future energy system.

Key Wind Energy Sector Indicators in Spain

• In 2023, wind energy generation amounted to 62,594 GWh, covering 25.6% of the demand. Thus, wind energy consolidates itself as the leading technology in the energy mix.
• The total contribution of the wind sector to Spain’s GDP, both direct and indirect, reached €3.791 billion, or 0.31% of Spain’s GDP.
• The direct contribution of the wind sector to Spain’s GDP in 2023 was €2.434 billion, while the indirect contribution was €1.357 billion.
• The sector employs 35,741 people (19,421 direct jobs and 16,320 indirect jobs).
• In 2023, the export activity amounted to €1.970 billion. Spain is the fifth-largest gross exporter of wind turbines worldwide, behind Germany, Denmark, China, and India.
• In 2023, wind energy saved the importation of 12 million tons of oil equivalent (teps), valued at €3.697 billion.
• In terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, 32.8 million tons of CO2 were avoided in 2023.
• The wind sector continues to bear a significant tax burden. In 2023, the sector had a tax burden of €578 million (46% more than personnel costs).
• In 2023, the wind sector invested €84.9 million in R&D, equivalent to 3.49% of its contribution to GDP.
• Wind energy generation helps reduce electricity prices and sector revenues. The use of wind power instead of fossil fuels saved Spanish consumers €4.685 billion in 2023.

Wind Energy in Autonomous Communities

Wind farms are located across almost all autonomous communities in Spain. Out of 8,135 municipalities in Spain, 868 have wind installations. About 10% of Spanish municipalities host wind projects, and 11% of Spain’s population lives in municipalities with wind farms.

Wind power is concentrated in five autonomous communities, which account for 79% of the total: Castilla y León (11%), Aragón (14.4%), Galicia (14%), Andalucía (13%), and Castilla-La Mancha (12%). In 2023, the communities that installed the most wind capacity were Aragón (307 MW, 50.1%), Castilla-La Mancha (92 MW, 15%), Cataluña (60 MW, 9.8%), and Extremadura (50 MW, 8.1%).

The provinces with the highest number of municipalities with wind farms are Lugo (51%), Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (47%), and La Coruña (46%). The provinces with the highest percentage of population living in municipalities with wind farms are Albacete (82%) and Zaragoza (81%), followed by Valladolid (63%), Palencia (61%), and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (50%).

Analysis of the number of provinces reveals that wind farms tend to be located in municipalities with lower populations (the “Empty Spain”), contributing to population retention as they generate economic activity and employment.

In 2023, five of the 17 autonomous communities contributed 69% of the wind sector’s GDP in Spain. These communities are Castilla y León (16.9%), Galicia (15.7%), Aragón (14.5%), Andalucía (11.2%), and Castilla-La Mancha (10.6%).