The Government believes that the electricity bill will drop by 7% in a decade by generalizing the use of renewables

The Government believes that the electricity bill will drop by 7% in a decade by generalizing the use of renewables

It foresees an energy mix without coal in 2030, the closure of nuclear power by seniority and keeping all combined cycles in force

   The Ministry of Ecological Transition has calculated one of the variables that most interest consumers within the Framework 'Energy and Climate' that yesterday approved the Council of Ministers: the price of electricity. The promise of the department directed by Teresa Ribera points to a reduction of the electric bill of 12% within a decade, when most of the production is of renewable origin.

  The estimate of what the invoice will be reduced has been made on the gross amount of the same, before applying the taxes. At present, a third of the receipt is destined to the payment of VAT and other tax figures. So, with the current variables included in the invoice, the actual reduction of the receipt would be 7% compared to the current one. In any case, Minister Ribera indicated yesterday that from 2030 there will be "an even more pronounced fall" in the receipt, due to the incorporation of more renewable technologies, which are those that reduce the generation price.

  It would be one of the consequences of generalizing the use of wind, photovoltaic and other type of green installations to generate light, as it is established in the Energy and Climate Plan; the preliminary draft of the Climate Change Law; and the Just Transition Strategy. Three documents that, for Minister Ribera "are not a toast to the sun".

   "There is no reason to delay this debate," he said at his appearance yesterday. But, in reality, the law will be paralyzed by the dissolution of the Cortes; and the plan is a draft that will be sent to the European Commission for analysis. For now, they will have no practical effects, pending what the Executive decides to leave the polls. The promise that the light will come down, as announced by the previous governments, will also depend on what is decided in the future.

Change in the social bond: automatic and «multi-fuel»

In the next few weeks, the Ministry of Ecological Transition will present a new proposal to reform the social bond by applying discounts of up to 40% on the consumption part of the receipt. From the energy department anticipate that it will be a "multi-fuel" bond, that is, not only linked to the holders of electricity contracts, as up to now, but also those of butane, gas and other technologies. In addition, it will be "automatic" in its application, to avoid the bureaucratic problems that currently exist to request it, wait for the answer and apply the discounts or receive the aid.

74% of green electricity
The program sets a goal, that 74% of the electricity generated in 2030 comes from renewable, twice the current. The document foresees an installed capacity of almost 157,000 megawatts (MW), given that wind will increase its presence with more than 20,000 MW and photovoltaics with almost 30,000 MW. There will be renewable auctions for at least 3,000 Mw per year. Faced with this massive influx of technologies that can not provide constant electricity, the Executive has planned to reorder the plants that do provide stability to the system.

As originally planned, the end of coal power is estimated in 2030, although a fork of up to 1,000 MW is left to pace the transition process in the affected areas. All the facilities are in a process close to closing: of the 14 thermals in operation, nine will close in 2020. And the remaining five will be adapted "to an exit process".

In this reconversion of the 'mix', it is advocated for the closure of nuclear power stations when they reach their useful life; if there are short-term extensions, they must be requested and authorized. At least, it will be from 2025 when these facilities will be closing. In 2030, only 3,000 Mw of nuclear will be installed. And in 2035, no megawatt. At the moment there are more than 7,000 Mw.

Three final plants
The last three nuclear stations to be closed would be those of Cofrentes (Valencia), Vandellós II (Tarragona) and Trillo (Guadalajara). On the contrary, the first to do so between 2025 and 2030 would be Almaraz I and II (Cáceres); and Ascó I and II (Tarragona). What the government will not do is "alter the natural order of closure" that will be defined by the electricity companies.

With this drainage, the plans go through to maintain unchanged the park of combined cycles, with 27,000 Mw. Sources of Ecological Transition point out that this backup technology has been chosen because it is an "elastic generation mechanism" that can be put into operation when it is needed to guarantee supply, something that does not happen with the nuclear ones since it is more rigid its operation, indicate. In addition, from that ministerial department argue that the cost of nuclear generation "is not much lower" than the combined cycle, which, mostly, work through gas.

The Association of Electric Energy Companies (Aelec) considers that all these objectives are "a step forward" in the energy transition. In addition, it appreciates the recognition of the "need to maintain the current generation of support" to facilitate the "growth" of renewables "guaranteeing" the supply.

The definitive ban on selling diesel and gasoline cars is set at 2040
The 'Energy and Climate' Framework contains environmental sustainability objectives that, in many cases, exceed those of the European Union. Thus, the challenge set by the Government is to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by at least 20% compared to 1990; ensure that the presence of renewables in the final use of energy is 42%, twice the current one; and improve energy efficiency by at least 35%. Looking ahead to 2050, it is intended that Spain is a neutral country in terms of emissions.

In order to do so, it will not only depend on what happens in the electricity sector, but also on transport, the other pillar on which carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions depend to a large extent. The Government has confirmed that the registration of new cars from 2040 will be prohibited if they are combustion (diesel and gasoline). The goal is that from that year all vehicles that leave the factory are electric.

After the controversies generated in recent months on account of this measure, the Executive has taken care not to introduce the word 'prohibition' in the texts. He has limited himself to "pick up word by word" the indications of the European Commission, explained yesterday the Minister of Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera. The draft says that "the necessary measures" will be adopted so that the cars "reduce their emissions so that no later than 2040 are vehicles with emissions of 0 grams of CO2 / km". For that reason, from Faconauto (dealers) they value positively that the term 'prohibition' is not mentioned. Although in the employers' association Anfac have shown their "concern" because in practice they will restrict their sale. And it will have "a negative effect on consumers, the market, factories and industry."

What is planned is the development of aid plans for the purchase of alternative cars, with 200 million a year for five years, between 2021 and 2025. In total, 1,000 million euros to achieve five million electric cars in circulation in the next decade. It is estimated that this is the key period to promote its acquisition in this first phase. The aid will go to electric cars and plug-in hybrids.