- Energy Transition Vice Minister Irantzu Allende highlighted this idea during her speech at the inauguration of the 20th Congress of the Spanish Association for the Energy Economy – AEEE
- From 2 to 4 June, this meeting will discuss issues related to the challenges and opportunities for industry in the transition to a decarbonised energy model through high-level presentations.
The Spanish Association for the Energy Economy – AEEE- opened its 20th Congress in Bilbao this morning, in which experts and experts analyze the challenges and opportunities that European decarbonisation policies present for industrial and social growth. In his speech at the opening ceremony, Allende highlighted the alignment of the energy and industrial policy of the Basque Country with the European framework and its importance for the sustainability and future competitiveness of the industry.
“The goal of achieving emission neutrality by 2050 is not just an environmental commitment, it is a strategy of competitiveness and industrial development of the Basque economy. The European Clean Industrial Deal sends out a clear message: to turn decarbonisation into a growth engine for European industries. That is why this Government’s efforts are aligned with Europe and focus on achieving more industry for this country, better industry and lower emissions.” It is the central idea of the speech today made by Irantzu Allende, vice-councillor of Energy Transition, during the inauguration of the XX Congress of the Spanish Association for the Energy Economy which is taking place in Bilbao.
The institutional opening event was also attended by the vice-chancellor of EHU Gotzone Barandika, AEEE President Hugo Lucas and the Cabinet Director of the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, Valvanera Ulargui. In his speech, Irantzu Allende stated that security of energy supply is key to Basque energy policy and stressed that renewable energy “is a guarantee for the decarbonisation of the economy, guarantors of security of supply and predictability of prices”. That is why, according to him, the Basque Government is firmly committed to strengthening the electricity network, since “not investing in its improvement could relocate business activity and put the employment of more than 70,000 people at risk”.
Allende finally pointed out that the smart decarbonisation of the Basque economy “is a task that we should not postpone and will only be possible if we move forward together and hand in hand. There is no doubt that to do so we must be able to convey to our society that the energy transition is not a danger but a shared opportunity, which will make our industry more competitive.”
Throughout the three days of Congress, different energy models for the decarbonisation of industry, the European Industrial Clean Deal, climate and energy neutrality in industry and the role of renewable gases in decarbonisation will be analysed through presentations, keynotes and round tables.
Energy transition, a collective challenge
On the eve of the Bilbao Congress, the AEEE organised a session entitled “The social acceptance of renewable energy projects” in which the Director General of the Basque Energy Agency Mikel Amundarain participated, who stressed the importance of the energy transition being understood as a collective challenge and a challenge in which all citizens must play a role. “The energy transition process has been on track since the EVE started in the early 1980s. Now, as stated in the Act, the decarbonisation of the Basque economy is proposed as an objective for 2050. And in order to achieve this goal, we must continue to focus on lifelong energy policies (efficiency, electrification, security of supply, reduction of emissions…) along with other variables that are also a priority, such as justice (leaving no one behind) and citizen participation.”
It should be noted that in the Basque Country, the Energy Transition and Climate Change Act adopted in 2024 provides for objectives in the transition to a low-emission energy model very ambitious but essential to achieve climate neutrality. Thus, a minimum energy saving of 12% in final energy consumption by 2030 and 27% by 2050 has been established. Renewables are also expected to increase their share to 32% by 2030 and to reduce emissions by 45%.
In this context, Amundarain underlined during the debate the need to strengthen the current capacity of the networks and to modernise the system, which would entail “an increase in the participation of renewables in the mix but also a step forward in decarbonisation and industrial development. Without strengthening networks, we will not be able to develop a new decarbonised industry. In addition, we are convinced that the value chain will improve through the technological development of Basque companies, which in turn is an opportunity for its implementation in international markets,” he said.
The Round Table on Social Acceptance of Energy Projects was attended by EVE Director-General Julio Castro (Iberdrola), Edurne Basterra (UAGA), José I. Mendoza (UNEF-Euskadi) and UPV/EHU professor Aitor Urresti. For his part, analyst Orkestra Jorge Fernández gave an account of the results of the report prepared by the Basque Institute of Competitiveness on the citizen perception of renewables.
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