Concern in the Community of Madrid
The regional government has expressed its unease over the suspicions of corruption surrounding the granting of permits for large photovoltaic projects. In a letter addressed to the Minister for Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, the Minister of Environment, Agriculture and Interior, Carlos Novillo, has requested an independent audit of the Environmental Impact Declarations (DIA) granted to these facilities.
Novillo has pointed out that 53 approved projects in the region occupy more than 10,000 hectares, raising serious concerns about environmental and agricultural impact. The minister emphasizes that this situation does not imply a rejection of the energy transition, but rather an urgent need to carry it out with rigour and land management criteria.
In his letter, Novillo warns that some already granted DIAs may have significant deficiencies in their processing. This could not only compromise the natural environment but also affect the legal security of investments made in these projects. Therefore, he requests a cumulative analysis to assess the joint impact of these large plants on biodiversity, landscape, and soil.
The minister also proposes reviewing the distribution of competencies among administrations to allow Autonomous Communities to take on the authorization of all photovoltaic installations, especially those with greater capacity (over 50 megawatts), given their potential impact on territories like Madrid.
Novillo highlights that the logical order has been disrupted by granting declarations before defining a strategic planning of the territory. “It is essential to correct this model to avoid disordered land occupation,” he states. The Community advocates for a Landscape Protection Plan that limits these installations to 4% of the territory and prioritizes their location in already transformed or less productive areas.
As debates on renewable energy and sustainability intensify, Madrid urgently calls for concrete measures to ensure not only progress towards clean energy but also the protection of the environment and essential sectors such as agriculture. The community seeks to balance energy development with environmental conservation.
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