Ribera chairs cross‑party talks on Spain’s energy plan
Teresa Ribera, the third vice president of the government and minister for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, is scheduled to meet with representatives from all parliamentary groups this Thursday. The objective is to gather proposals that could help Spain reduce its gas usage as part of an Emergency Plan that the government intends to present to Brussels.
The minister will receive attendees starting at 18:00 at the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge’s headquarters, where spokespersons from the various political parties will participate in the discussions, according to a cabinet briefing. These sessions form part of a broader effort to engage key industry, social, political, and civil society actors in shaping the Contingency Plan.
So far, Ribera has already held talks with major energy players and their leaders. Francisco Reynés of Naturgy, Ignacio Sánchez Galán of Iberdrola, Beatriz Corredor of Redeia, and Arturo Gonzalo Aizpiri, chief executive of Enagás, have been part of these conversations. Representatives from electricity and gas employers, including Aelec and Sedigas, have also participated in meetings tied to the energy strategy.
Law project with changes requested by partners
The current round of discussions follows the approval in Congress last week of an energy conservation ordinance that will be processed as a bill. Lawmakers will see changes that reflect requests from government partners while the decree is implemented even as the measures move forward as an invoice. The package includes the first wave of energy-savings measures designed to support voluntary reductions in gas consumption and to reduce the risk of supply disruption from Russia. It also aims to promote public transport, with free commuter services as well as Rodalí and Media Distancia trains from September 1 through year-end.
The energy saving plan will be complemented by the Emergency Plan design. It sets temperature limits for heating and cooling in public administration buildings, commercial spaces, cultural venues, and transport hubs at 19 and 27 degrees Celsius, respectively. The decree excludes hospitals, training centers, gyms, hairdressers, and restaurant kitchens from these limits. Retail storefronts and some public buildings are also subject to rules on lighting and energy use.
Shutter times for shop windows and vacant public buildings are mandated to switch off after 10 p.m., with automatic shutdown of buildings and interiors before September 30. Access doors must be kept closed to prevent doors from being left ajar, ensuring energy efficiency is maintained across spaces open to the public.
Violations carry penalties, with fines up to 60,000 euros for minor infractions and up to six million euros for serious breaches. Very serious violations carry penalties that can reach up to 100 euros for the most extreme cases. The decree also introduces new support for land transport of goods, accelerates the deployment of renewable energy and storage facilities, and provides a supplementary €100 scholarship to all scholarship and study grant recipients, as announced in the latest State of the Nation debate.