Transición energética en España: los aspectos ambientales, sociales y culturales de los conflictos sobre los usos del suelo

Abstract

In the present context, delineated by the climate emergency which has fostered a growing awareness of the necessity to combat climate change, the diminution of fossil energy reserves, and the economic complexities tied to the extraction and refining of hydrocarbons, there has been a propelled urgency to shift towards renewable energy sources. The progress towards an increased utilisation of these energy sources and the decarbonisation of the economy in Spain has demonstrated signs of quantitative success, with the energy objectives being met on most occasions. However, the endeavour to achieve these targets has not been without controversies and conflicts, often stemming from the significant territorial footprint of energy projects. Consequently, the relationship between renewable energy generation and the territory has led to alterations in land use dynamics and landscape configurations, ultimately triggering interest conflicts at various levels. This thesis begins with the premise that these conflicts represent a barrier to the energy transition towards renewables and reveal a process of territorial injustice. This leads us to hypothesise that the transition towards renewable energies in Spain is accompanied by bad territorial practices and, even in practices considered good, a meaningful and constructive dialogue with local communities has not been established. In this vein, the present research focuses on studying these conflicts as catalysts for territorial change towards an equitable energy transition, i.e., one that fairly distributes the positive and negative impacts of the transition on society and the territory. To test this hypothesis, and with the primary research objective of achieving a theoretical understanding of the nature and dynamics of the transition towards renewable energies, three specific objectives are set out and addressed throughout the thesis: i) to investigate conflicts linked to land use associated with renewable energies; ii) to create a database of cases that includes both identified conflicts and poor development practices of renewable energy sources in Spain; iii) to understand the factors and processes influencing public acceptance or opposition to some RES projects considered as good practices. These objectives focus on the territorial, socioeconomic, and cultural dynamics related to the energy transition, with special attention to land uses and changes and conflicts; leading to a tripartite thesis structure: i) Chapter 11 analyses 27 conflicts in wind parks, identifying 27 reasons for conflict, 14 involved parties, and 9 types of conflict; ii) Chapter 12 focuses on 23 cases of conflicts in photovoltaic solar energy projects, identifying 20 main reasons for conflict, 15 types of involved agents, and 10 categories of conflicts; iii) Chapter 13 offers a comparison between the studied cases with the aim of identifying generalised types of conflicts in the renewable energy sector. Finally, two exemplary cases of biogas plants are examined, focusing the analysis on the perception and role of the population in the planning and construction processes. Throughout these three chapters that constitute the research of this thesis, the analysis of conflicts and practices associated with renewable energies entails the use of a methodological approach that integrates both qualitative and quantitative analysis, adopting a mixed approach, termed "explanatory sequential design", characterised by the application of qualitative methods in the initial phases of research and data collection, followed by the use of quantitative methods in the analysis and presentation of data. The findings illustrate how the transition towards renewable energies has been perceived as a shift in the energy model, driven by the urgency to replace fossil fuel sources. However, this transition has evolved into a process of substitution by large energy plants within a centralised system. Through this contribution, it is proposed that conflicts and practices associated with large renewable energy complexes be leveraged to empower local communities negatively impacted by these facilities, which remain marginalised in the distribution of benefits, excluded from procedures, and unrecognised in their right to participate in energy policy with territorial implications.