84% of renewable energy generation in Spain is produced in rural areas, which concentrate a large part of the country’s energy development potential. This was one of the main conclusions of the conference “Rural Environment: Energy Transition and Economic Integration,” held in Toledo and organized by the Association of Electric Power Companies (aelēc) in collaboration with the Regional Confederation of Businessmen of Castilla-La Mancha (CECAM). The event featured the presentation of the report “The Energy Transition in the Spanish Rural Environment,” prepared by Monitor Deloitte.

The meeting brought together representatives from the energy, business, and institutional sectors, with the participation of, among others, the president of aelēc, Marina Serrano; the general director of CECAM, Mario Fernández; the general director of Energy Transition of the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha, Alipio García Rodríguez; and the Deputy Director General of Coordination and Initiatives against Depopulation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Adrián Muelas Gil, who analyzed the strategic opportunities offered by the energy transition for the development of the rural environment, job creation in the region, and population retention.

“The energy transition is not only an environmental opportunity, but also a lever for territorial development and cohesion. Castilla-La Mancha must place itself at the center of this transformation to attract industry, generate stable employment, and retain population. This can be achieved thanks to renewable energy and, of course, with a firm commitment to electricity grids, which are essential for the development of these clean sources of electricity generation and for promoting industrial attraction,” said Marina Serrano, president of aelēc.

According to the report presented, regions such as Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, and Aragón hold a large part of Spain’s renewable energy development potential, which will require investment in modernizing and expanding electricity grids. Furthermore, the study highlights that the challenge of depopulation and the energy transition are closely linked: 15 Spanish provinces have a population density of less than 30 inhabitants/km²—compared to the national average of 96—including Cuenca, Ciudad Real, and Albacete. However, these same provinces are the ones with the best conditions for renewable energy deployment. Castilla-La Mancha, for example, already generates more than 25% of all its electricity from solar photovoltaic and is one of the regions with the greatest room for growth in biomass and energy storage.

Mario Fernández, CEO of CECAM, stated that “the development of any society requires basic energy infrastructure, which in rural areas needs to be a potential business development resource. We must all work together to provide Castilla-La Mancha with this infrastructure and become a focus of investment thanks to the electricity sector.”

Likewise, on behalf of the regional government, Alipio García Rodríguez, Director General of Energy Transition for the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha, emphasized that “the Government of Castilla-La Mancha has positioned the region as the second autonomous community with the greatest renewable energy development in the country. We will continue to support this model, making the industry more competitive and strengthening socioeconomic development, without forgetting the need to combine dialogue with citizens to improve social acceptance in the regions.”

Primary Sector and Rural Development Opportunities

The primary sector is another of the pillars highlighted in the report. In rural provinces, it contributes an average of 7.5% of GDP, compared to 2.7% for Spain as a whole. The document states that combining agriculture and energy through agrivoltaic projects can increase water retention by up to 60% and improve pollination, in addition to diversifying income for farmers in provinces such as Cuenca and Guadalajara.

The first panel discussion at the event featured Martín Behar, Director of Studies and Environment at the Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF); Iván Lütolf, President of the Spanish Association for the Digitalization of Agriculture, Agri-Food, Livestock, Fisheries, and Rural Areas (AgroTech España); Miguel Tejerina Sanz, Technical Manager of Viñedos del Río Tajo; and David Mignanelli, Agricultural Specialist at Powerfultree and Project Representative at the San Gabriel School of Oenology (Aranda del Duero).

Finally, a second panel discussion was held on the opportunities of the energy and digital transition for rural environments. The panel included Alberto Escribano, Head of the Technical Secretariat of Vivaces; José Luis Pascual Criado, Director General of the Duero-Douro European Grouping for Territorial Cooperation; and Javier Chacón, President of