ENERCLUSTER, the group of companies promoting the development of renewable energy in northern Spain, supports the execution of 22 wind power generation parks in the Navarra community, with a total authorized capacity of 547 MW.

Drawing from the challenges currently unfolding in Galicia, the association emphasizes the importance of managing social claims effectively through transparency in the actions of developers and early information sharing.

“Providing information from the outset and listening to the suggestions of the affected community is fundamental,” says Iker Chasco, General Manager of the organization.

In an interview with Energía Estratégica España, the executive highlights that this strategy has been crucial in improving project acceptance and strengthening companies’ commitment to addressing the concerns of local communities.

In the context of wind energy development, each project in Navarra has unique characteristics and challenges, so Chasco stresses that there is no “magic formula” for resolving social claims, as each developer has their own working methods.

However, specialists have agreed that initiating dialogue with communities at the early stages of the project has had a positive impact on the acceptance of wind farms.

The association is closely monitoring developments in Galicia, where claims focus on the landscape impact of wind farms raised by environmentalists and tourism organizations, the potential impact on traditional economic activities, and concerns about environmental protection.

These factors have generated an atmosphere of uncertainty and social resistance, which has slowed the development of new wind farms in the region, reducing the figure to around 100 MW in the last three years due to court decisions recognizing different interpretations of regional legislation.

Although there is concern that this may spread to other communities, Chasco points out that Navarra has been an example of more efficient management of social conflicts.

The ruling of the Superior Court of Justice of Navarra in February of this year confirmed the legality of two wind farms in the region, dismissing lawsuits filed by local associations.

“From Enercluster, we highly value this judicial ruling, which reaffirms the quality of both renewable developments by developers and the great work of the administration in the authorization process,” explains the executive.

Despite the challenges, the Government of Navarra has granted authorization for 22 wind farms, marking an important advance in clean energy generation in the region. However, other projects processed at the ministerial level are still awaiting approval.