Abstract

This paper provides an up-to-date, policy-oriented assessment of wind energy development in Spain, analysing recent technological, market and regulatory trends within a European and global context. It reviews the evolution of wind technology (including onshore scaling, digitalisation, hybridisation and emerging floating offshore solutions) and examines changes in the Spanish policy framework, with particular attention to auctions, corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs) and the updated National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) targets. The study highlights Spain’s strong position in terms of resource availability, industrial capacity and a competitive levelized cost of energy (LCOE), while also identifying key structural challenges affecting future deployment. These include permitting bottlenecks, social acceptance issues, grid constraints and the need for increased system flexibility through storage and hybrid solutions. The analysis shows that, although wind energy is well positioned to remain a central pillar of Spain’s energy transition, achieving the 2030 targets will require improved regulatory stability, more effective auction design and accelerated investment in networks and flexibility resources. The paper concludes with a set of policy-relevant recommendations aimed at ensuring sustainable growth of the wind sector while maximising its economic, environmental and social benefits.

IPC Classification

Keywords