The Greens / European Free Alliance (Greens / Ale) and MÉS per Mallorca show a deep malaise because in the Balearic Islands "only 3 percent" of energy is renewable, when what is established by European regulations is to reach 20 percent in 2020.
This was stated by the Green / ALE MEP, Florent Marcellesi, at a press conference in Palma in which, together with the co-spokesperson of MÉS per Mallorca (Balearic Islands), David Abril, he presented the agenda of priorities to transfer the objective to Europe «to achieve sustainable Balearic Islands«.
Marcellesi has expressed his commitment to transfer the MÉS initiatives to Brussels and has explained these proposals that aim to “carry out the economic and ecological transition of the Balearic Islands«. Like the one that has already started in the Canary Islands.
In this way, he has explained that the Paris Accords have caused a "high impact" and that “instead of the single-use economy, moving towards a circular economy, of reuse and use of resources ”.
«MALLORCA CAN AND HAS TO BE A LEADER» His main idea is that one does not have to «talk about islands based on the monoculture of tourism, but the possibility of diversifying the economy and promote the consumption of the local product ».
Thus, he remarked that "we must bet on renewable and clean energies and close those that generate dirty energies»And has indicated that, according to the Paris Agreements, the Es Muntanar plant would have to be closed before 2025
The representative of Greens / ALE has also commented the particular case of Vienna airport, where the proposed expansion was not carried out in accordance with the foreseeable increase in Co2. "We will build on this experience similar to the one that can be considered at Palma airport," he said. In addition, the MEP has also raised the possibility of demanding 'a tax on international flights aimed at mitigating the impact with sustainability measures ”.
Renewable energies in the Canary Islands
The Minister of Economy, Industry, Commerce and Knowledge, Pedro Ortega, has stated that the Government expects that "with the new quota, in a short period of time we can go from 9% renewables to 21%." In the Canary Islands there are 18 wind farms, and soon this figure will rise to 67. Forty-nine wind farms will be added to those that already exist in the Archipelago waiting for the state to assign them a new energy quota.
The modernization of the current wind farms in the Canary Islands by more powerful equipment, efficient and sophisticated is essential to achieve greater energy production in the Islands, especially in the case of those installed in the areas that present better conditions in the Archipelago and that already have a certain age.
The counselor assured that, “in addition to inincrease electricity generation capacity, the modernization of the facilities would make it possible to reduce the landscape and environmental impact ”and referred to the need to establish a regulatory framework that facilitates repowering.
Regarding the most immediate challenges in renewable energies, Pedro Ortega highlighted the approval of a new specific remuneration quota for wind and photovoltaic parks in the Canary Islands, which the State promised to remove in the first four months of 2017 and the promotion of new low enthalpy geothermal facilities, for which a working group has been created with all the agents involved.
In September, the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands published the final approval of the regulatory bases of subsidies for self-consumption facilities in Lanzarote and La Graciosa through renewable energy systems in buildings connected and not connected to the distribution network.
The counselor has stated that the Government expects that «With the new quota, in a short period of time we can go from 9% renewables in 2015 to 21%. We calculate that in 2025 the Canary Islands could have a penetration of 45% ».
