Imagine a path forward for the Valencian Community to unlock solar power developments, with a focus on Alicante. The General Directorate of Energy is pursuing two main avenues to remove obstacles in the solar permitting process. First, it is aligning with professional bodies to establish cooperation agreements that speed up approvals. Second, it plans to roll out a digital platform designed to coordinate multiple departments and prevent duplicate work.
The processing of solar power plants has become one of the most pressing challenges left by the prior regional administration. During the previous tenure, applications for solar projects piled up due to extreme delays in file handling. As a result, the Valencian Community finds itself trailing in renewable energy deployment. In five years, only 231 projects were completed in the region, totaling 2,761 megawatts. Of these, merely 18 projects, representing 152 megawatts, are currently operational. In Alicante province, 74 files were resolved, equaling 899 megawatts, while five projects, totaling 44 megawatts, have actually entered service.
Part of the slowdown stemmed from friction among different departments under the previous administration, including the regional leadership by PSPV and the Ecological Transition and Economy team led by Compromís. Critics pointed to these delays as a factor in the dismissal of Mireia Mollà as Minister of Ecological Transition.
With the new government now in charge, actions are being taken to defuse the situation. The General Directorate of Energy and related sector associations are working on a legal framework for cooperation, mirroring efforts already underway at the Ministry of Environment. Officials say the aim is to start with straightforward procedures and gradually address more complex ones. One area identified for immediate action is economic guarantees. Current delays of about three months could be shortened to around one week. The plan envisions schools acting as a filtering mechanism to prevent reviewing files that fail to pass the initial test, easing congestion in the processing pipeline.
Consell gears up to unblock 350 solar farms stuck since 2020
A second ongoing effort is the launch of a digital platform. Regional Industry Minister Felipe Carrasco explained that this internet-based tool will facilitate the electronic submission of documents and the ongoing monitoring of cases. He stressed that the platform also helps prevent duplication and ensures projects receive the timely support they need.
Likewise, the interministerial commission on renewable energy will review and simplify the legal and regulatory framework for photovoltaic use to eliminate redundancies and accelerate approvals. The commission will also develop standardized processes to streamline the handling of similar projects. The goal is to attract investment in this sector and significantly boost photovoltaic energy production in the Valencian Community. Officials noted the need for ongoing training of staff responsible for reviewing files and for mechanisms that engage citizen participation to address local concerns.
There are 149 projects awaiting resolution in Alicante province.
The Valencian Community currently has 415 solar power plant files with a total capacity of 5,547 megawatts awaiting resolution. Of these, 149 projects totaling 1,967 megawatts pertain to Alicante. Additionally, in the second district, eight cases must be decided before the end of January to prevent expirations.
The Generalitat handles solar power plants up to 50 megawatts in processing, with larger projects falling under the Ministry of Ecological Transition. Some facilities on the list carry different authorizations, reflecting the diverse regulatory landscape surrounding solar projects.