Paced progress is underway in resolving the delays that had stalled photovoltaic project approvals in the Valencian Community, particularly in Alicante. In the past six months, the regional government has unlocked 18 solar installations with a combined capacity of 153 megawatts, enough to power about 76,500 homes. These gains come as collaboration agreements with professional bodies and better cross-department coordination streamline procedures. Officials anticipate that the forthcoming renewal of renewable energy legislation will provide a decisive boost.
Valencia enjoys among the highest solar irradiance levels in Spain, and Alicante stands out for its roughly 3,400 hours of sunshine per year. It is no surprise that renewable energy companies have targeted this region, a trend reflected by a surge of photovoltaic plant proposals in recent years.
However, the explosion of initiatives faced a substantial bottleneck as the Generalitat delayed processing. Since 2018, only 74 plants in Alicante had progressed through the process. Specifically, 25 had prior administrative and construction approval, and merely five were operational. There were 25 projects denied or not admitted to processing, 18 that abandoned or relinquished access and connection permits, and one in pre-consultation. In total, 144 cases remained in active processing.
The situation began to shift with the new regional government. In the last six months, project processing has accelerated, with 105 cases reaching a conclusion: 39 with authorization, nine in operation, 29 denied or not admitted to processing, 27 abandoned or expired access and connection permissions, and one in pre-consultation. Projects still in processing stand at 124.
In light of the newly authorized or operational plants in the past half-year, there are 18 installations newly cleared, delivering a combined 153 megawatts. This scale is notable, equating to the electricity needed by roughly 76,500 homes.
From the Conselleria de Innovación, Industria, Comercio y Turismo, which oversees these projects, officials emphasize that the measures taken are already bearing fruit. Examples include formal agreements with professional associations and enhanced coordination among involved departments to avoid duplications. Efforts are also focused on improving public staff training and launching a digital platform for electronic document submission and case tracking.
Looking ahead, officials say the forthcoming renewable energy law will provide a definitive impulse by focusing on four core axes. The plan includes removing financial requirements previously demanded from promoters in the Valencia region, ending exhaustive re-evaluation of projects improved by technological advances, reinforcing the administration with external personnel, and digitizing procedures in line with the new digital platform.
Professionals in the sector acknowledge a broader challenge: a shortage of qualified workers. Based on estimates from Avaesen, the association of renewable energy and clean technology companies in the Valencian Community, roughly 5,000 workers will be needed across the region in the next three years, including about 2,000 in the Alicante province.
A total of 53 approved corporate self-consumption projects
The Ivace+i, part of the Conselleria of Innovation, Industry, Commerce and Tourism, has approved 140 self-consumption projects across productive sectors in the Valencia region, with 53 in Alicante, 72 in Valencia, and 15 in Castellón.
The regional ministry will provide 3.5 million euros in subsidies to support these projects, with companies expected to invest around 14 million euros. The deployment of these facilities will bring 17.7 megawatts of installed capacity. The regional minister highlighted the need to push renewables forward and to reverse the current situation.