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Energy in Spain > Relevant legislation
Relevant legislation
In 2008, the Spanish government and Parliament approved a set of regulations for the energy sector of which the following are just a selected example. The regulations that are more directed towards the gas sector are discussed in detail in the chapter dealing with gas in Spain.
  • Order ITC/1857/2008 revising electricity tariffs from 1 July 2008 (Official State Gazette (“BOE”) 28.6.2008).
  • Agreement between the Kingdom of Spain and the Republic of Portugal on the reciprocal maintenance of crude oil and petroleum product reserves, signed in Lisbon on 8 March 2008 (BOE 16.7.2008).
This Agreement will govern the reciprocal allocation of crude oil and petroleum product reserves, which will be calculated on the basis of the compulsory reserves that have to be maintained under the provisions set out in the domestic legislation of both countries.
  • Royal Decree 1578/2008, governing payment for the production of electrical energy using solar photovoltaic technology at facilities dating from after the deadline for the maintenance of the payment under Royal Decree 661 of 15 May 2007 relating to this technology (BOE 27.9.2008).
This establishes the financial rules governing this type of facility, where the date on which they were eventually entered at the official Registry came after the publication of Royal Decree 661/2007.
  • Order ITC/28877/2008, which establishes a mechanism to encourage the use of biofuels and other renewable fuels for transport purposes (BOE 14.10.2008).
This order supports European Parliament and Council Directive 2003/30/EC of 8 May 2003, relating to the use of biofuels and other renewable fuel sources in the transport sector. It sets targets of 1.9% biofuel use in 2008, 3.4% in 2009 and 5.83% in 2010.
  • Order ITC/3801/2008, which reviews electricity tariffs from 1 January 2009 (BOE 31.12.2008).
In our last Annual Report we mentioned that the Spanish government was drawing up a draft planning document for the gas and electricity sectors that would replace the current one: 2005-2011 Planning Review for the electricity and gas sector for the period from 2002 to 2011.
Enagás
At the end of May 2008, the Council of Ministers approved the new planning document for the electricity and gas sectors: Electricity and Gas Sector Plan 2007-2016. Development of Carrier Networks.
This document includes the following points:
  • It integrates the development of electricity and gas systems for the period from 2008 to 2016.
  • It includes forecasts on both primary and end-use energy consumption, along with energy intensity over the period examined.
  • It includes forecasts on demand for electricity and natural gas and the financial resources required to cover them.
  • It makes a binding commitment regarding the electricity and gas carrier networks to be built during the period of the plan, with a description of each of them.
  • The investment discussed includes:
    • 10,221 million euros for the gas sector, for the period from 2008 to 2016: 45% in transport, 33% in regasification, 15% in underground storage and 7% in compressor stations.
    • 9,220 million euros for the electricity sector: 68% in the carrier network, international connections and distribution support, 25% in facilities to carry newly-generated supplies (from combined cycle plants and renewables) and 7% to service the high-speed train.
  • It sets out the objective of achieving greater energy efficiency and savings than in the previous plan.
For example, in the primary energy sector, the annual energy intensity target (energy consumption in relation to GDP) is -1.6% for the period from 2006 to 2016, when the target set in the previous plan was only -1.0% (2005 to 2011). The respective targets for end-use energy are -1.3% and -0.3%.
  • The forecast growth in accumulated annual energy consumption in this latest plan is 1.4% for primary energy, as compared with the 2.0% increase forecast in its predecessor. For end-user energy, the forecast figures are 1.6% and 2.6% respectively.
  • On the electricity supply side, the plan forecasts an installed potential of 29,000 MW of wind energy by 2016, and between 30,000 and 35,000 MW of potential from all natural gas combined cycle plants.
Annual Report 2.008: Sedigas - The Spanish Gas Association