sultanate of Castile
In recent years, Spain has seen a broad roll-out of wind energy with a rapid growth of new facilities. The wind sector began expanding in the late 1990s, characterized by bursts of momentum and periods of pause. After an initial wave of commissioning supported by subsidies, a government moratorium under Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy halted expansion between 2014 and 2017. Since then, growth has resumed across the country, with varying intensity from year to year. [AEE wind sector report, 2022]
All autonomous communities except Madrid host wind farms. Yet the distribution shows clear regional imbalances in capacity. The latest macroeconomic assessment of the sector by Wind Cooperation (AEE) with data through the end of 2022 reveals that Castilla y León, Aragón and Castilla-La Mancha together hold more than half of Spain’s installed wind energy, while only Castilla-La Mancha and Aragón accounted for about 80% of new wind capacity added in the previous year. [AEE report, 2022]
Castile and León
By the end of last year, wind plants with a combined capacity approaching 200,000 MW produced energy, with around 29,800 MW in operation after adding roughly 1,640 MW in the year. Records from wind sector employers and energy developers show this figure with slight variations when compared to the system administrator Red Eléctrica de España due to differing methodologies. [REE, 2022]
Castilla y León accounted for more than a fifth of total wind energy in the country with over 6,500 MW, followed by Aragón with around 4,900 MW, Castilla-La Mancha with about 4,800 MW, Galicia with roughly 3,860 MW, and Andalusia with around 3,550 MW. [AEE report, 2022]
Last year about 1,600 MW were commissioned, with Castilla-La Mancha contributing 837 MW and Aragón about 492 MW, while other regions such as León, Catalonia, the Canary Islands, Navarra, Asturias and Andalusia saw smaller additions. [AEE data, 2022]
More than 1,300 wind farms
Spain ended last year with 22,042 wind turbines across 1,345 wind farms and 1,053 towns. This means wind farms operate in nearly one-eighth of Spain’s more than 8,100 municipalities, and they supply energy to more than 11 percent of the population. Wind farms tend to be located in less populated municipalities as they stimulate local economic activity and employment, helping sustain populations in rural areas. [AEE insights, 2022]
Castilla y León leads with 276 parks or 21.2 percent of the national total, followed by Aragón with 187 parks (14.4%), Galicia with 183 parks (14.1%), Andalusia with 167 parks (12.8%), and Castilla-La Mancha with 160 parks (12.3%). A provincial distribution shows wind farms exist in all provinces except Madrid, Córdoba, Girona, Alicante, Badajoz, and the autonomous cities Ceuta and Melilla. [AEE regional breakdown, 2022]
Braking during deployment
The wind energy expansion continued into the year, but sector groups warn of a slowdown in new plant commissioning in 2023. The pace remains below what is needed to reach targets set for 2030. In 2022, 1,640 MW of new wind energy were planned, while 2023 projections suggest around 600 MW in operation, equating to roughly 150 new turbines bringing the total close to 22,200. [AEE forecast, 2023]
Analysts estimate that between 2,000 and 3,000 MW could come online annually thanks to faster permitting and project completions between now and 2026, with hopes of reaching about 5,000 MW yearly to align with plan goals. The administrator’s framework envisions hitting 63,000 MW of wind energy by 2030, implying around 33,000 new MW over five years. [AEE projections, 2023]
Production leader
Wind power continues to lead Spain’s electricity generation, with wind farms now the largest source of electricity according to the national grid operator, Red Eléctrica de España (REE). Wind energy has repeatedly held the top position in the last decade, first reaching dominance in 2013, then reclaiming the leadership in 2021 amid the energy crisis, and again in 2023, marking a historic high for renewables as wind, solar, and hydropower collectively produced more than half of the country’s electricity. [REE data, 2023]
REE projects wind facilities to generate about 63,700 GWh this year, roughly 24 percent of total generation, ahead of nuclear at 20 percent and gas at 17 percent. Solar photovoltaics are set to rise to over 37,000 GWh, up 34 percent, and will contribute about 14 percent as the fourth-largest source. [REE forecast, 2023]