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demmiblue

(36,841 posts)
Sat Nov 17, 2018, 10:11 AM Nov 2018

Spain plans switch to 100% renewable electricity by 2050

Ambitious scheme also aims to fully decarbonise country’s economy shortly after

Spain has launched an ambitious plan to switch its electricity system entirely to renewable sources by 2050 and completely decarbonise its economy soon after.

By mid-century greenhouse gas emissions would be slashed by 90% from 1990 levels under Spain’s draft climate change and energy transition law.

To do this, the country’s social democratic government is committing to installing at least 3,000MW of wind and solar power capacity every year in the next 10 years ahead.

New licences for fossil fuel drills, hydrocarbon exploitation and fracking wells, will be banned, and a fifth of the state budget will be reserved for measures that can mitigate climate change. This money will ratchet upwards from 2025.

Christiana Figueres, a former executive secretary of the UN’s framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC), hailed the draft Spanish law as “an excellent example of the Paris agreement”. She added: “It sets a long-term goal, provides incentives on scaling up emissions technologies and cares about a good transition for the workforce.”

Under the plan, “just transition” contracts will be drawn up, similar to the £220m package announced in October, that will shut most Spanish coalmines in return for a suite of early retirement schemes, re-skilling in clean energy jobs, and environmental restoration. These deals will be partly financed by auction returns from the sale of emissions rights.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/13/spain-plans-switch-100-renewable-electricity-2050
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Spain plans switch to 100% renewable electricity by 2050 (Original Post) demmiblue Nov 2018 OP
That's great! Delarage Nov 2018 #1
Ditto! BigmanPigman Nov 2018 #2
Great news! BlueWI Nov 2018 #3

Delarage

(2,186 posts)
1. That's great!
Sat Nov 17, 2018, 10:22 AM
Nov 2018

Europe will leave the US behind and we're sacrificing a golden opportunity, economically and global-leadership-wise. We're letting China and other solar/wind producers take over the world while mouth-breathers stand around with "Trump Digs Coal" signs, Trump kisses Saudi asses, and oil pipelines snake across sacred Native American lands.

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