Why Spain's renewable energy boom is so controversial

The acclaimed Spanish film Alcarràs tells the story of how a solar park uproots astruggling farming family growing peaches in Catalonia: a century-old orchard mercilessly trampled by progress; a family divided.

Winner of the Berlin International Film Festival’s Golden Bear and a box office hit at home, the film has clearly struck a chord with Spaniards.

That is likely because it comes as they witness the frantic race to build renewable energy plants across the country and harness Spain's unique combination of sun and wind.

The starting gun was fired when the current socialist government lifted the moratorium on renewables in 2018 and swept aside the notorious sun tax introduced by their conservative predecessors.

If you factor in Spain's vast areas of depopulated countryside and it’s a no-brainer for the sector’s investors, such as BP’s Lightsource, which has made the country their largest solar market in Europe and third globally.

Spain wants to generate 74% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and is already a leader in Europe when it comes to wind energy. It had 1,265 wind farms and a wind power capacity of 28.1 gigawatts in 2021, second only to Germany in Europe. 

Such is the excitement, that it has even been suggested that one of Spain'semptiest regions -- Aragón, which sits between Barcelona and Madrid -- could become the Saudi Arabia of Europe, a reference to the kingdom's position as one of the world's biggest energy producers. By 2030, 10% of Teruel -- a province of Aragón -- could be covered by renewable energy installations.

But like all progress, the renewable energy boom has its detractors. 

Javier Oquendo, spokesman for the Platform in Defence of Teruel Landscape, says the group is not against