Renewables supplied 15.3% of Catalonia’s total electricity demand in 2025, nearly a percentage point less than a year earlier, as imports from Aragón grew. The region now imports more electricity from its neighbor than it generates from its own wind and solar installations. That leaves it further from its goal of sourcing half its electricity from renewables by 2030, as outlined in the Prospectiva Energética de Cataluña (Proencat).
The Observatorio de las Energías Renovables de Cataluña (OberCat) presented a report showing that nuclear power continues to dominate the region’s energy mix, accounting for around 50% of electricity production. Renewables now contribute slightly less than fossil fuels. Imports increasingly cover the shortfall.
Electricity demand in Catalonia reached 45,250 GWh in 2025, up 2.7% from the previous year. Local generation also rose, but by only 2%, to 38,292 GWh. Renewable generation, by contrast, fell 3.1% to 6,940 GWh. Hydropower led renewables with 3,822 GWh, covering 8.4% of demand. Wind output dropped sharply, falling 16.8% to 2,360 GWh. Solar contributed just 495 GWh. Solar photovoltaic generation grew by 17.5%, but its overall share remains marginal at 1.1%.
Aragón’s electricity balance helps explain the contrast between its large generation surplus and Catalonia’s rising imports. Figures from the region’s latest energy outlook, reported by Heraldo de Aragón, put Aragón’s generation at 167% of its consumption, with 51% of its electricity production sent to other autonomous communities. The region had 13,758 MW of installed capacity, 83.3% of it renewable. It generated 22,365 GWh of electricity, with renewables supplying 83.4%. Those figures establish Aragón as a major exporter, though regional electricity balances also depend on transmission capacity and flows across the wider grid.
The slowdown in renewable expansion is linked to lower wind output and limited growth in installed capacity. New solar self-consumption installations also declined: 14,890 systems were launched in 2025, down 31% in number and 34% in installed capacity from the previous year. The report links the fall to the end of EU Next Generation subsidies. Higher interest rates and lower perceived returns as electricity prices fell added to the pressure.
Catalonia’s own generation covered 84.2% of its electricity needs in 2025. The import balance reached 7,144 GWh, up 6.4% year on year and the third-highest level since 1990. OberCat warns that the trend signals a loss of energy sovereignty for the region. The group also points out that Catalonia imposes Spain’s highest permitting fees for new wind projects: a 50 MW wind farm faces a €119,521 fee, nearly nine times the fee in Aragón. Charges are far higher than in Galicia or Navarra.
Aragón’s surplus does not mean all new generation can be connected or transported without constraint. In an interview with El Periódico de Aragón, regional energy director general Yolanda Vallés said the grid lacks capacity to take in additional generation and carry it away: “You cannot feed energy into the network if it cannot leave through another route.” She also reported that electricity demand in Aragón rose by almost 7% in 2025 and was increasing by about 9% in 2026, compared with roughly 3% nationally. The figures show how local connection bottlenecks can coexist with an overall regional surplus.
Nuclear dependency remains a defining feature of Catalonia’s energy field. The nuclear plants at Ascó and Vandellòs, managed by Anav, supplied over half the region’s electricity in 2025. OberCat estimates nuclear’s share at 50.4%, or 22,800 GWh. That output also represents nearly 9% of the entire peninsular system.
The grid constraint is part of a wider Spanish challenge. APPA Renovables figures reported by Energías Renovables put renewable electricity curtailment on the peninsula at 19.69 TWh in 2025, 55.2% above 2024. A breakdown reported by El Periódico de la Energía assigns 11.41 TWh to technical constraints, including network restrictions and system-operation needs. Another 7.19 TWh came from market curtailment, when available electricity found no buyer, and 1.09 TWh from real-time curtailment. Renewable generation nevertheless rose only about 1.3% to 151.1 TWh. Wind produced 58.8 TWh nationally. Photovoltaics generated 50.3 TWh, while hydropower produced 33.7 TWh. The figures show why installed capacity, actual output and the ability to transmit power are distinct measures.
Another challenge is the shortage of skilled labor in the renewables sector. The local installers’ association, Fegicat, reports a deficit of 21,853 qualified workers in Catalonia, up 12% from the previous year. Two-thirds of companies struggle to hire staff. Meeting Proencat’s targets will require adding around 107,000 professionals by 2050.
These developments come as Spain’s energy sector faces broader challenges. Recent analysis from RUSSPAIN highlights how energy consumption patterns, including frequent air conditioning shutdowns, can unexpectedly lead up electricity costs. Such factors add complexity to the region’s efforts to balance supply with demand while pursuing sustainability.
Catalonia’s difficulty expanding renewables is not unique in Spain, but high permitting costs and heavy reliance on nuclear power set the region apart. Demand is rising while green growth remains sluggish, and imports are increasing. Policy adjustments will be needed if Catalonia is to close the gap to its 2030 renewable targets.
