The parliament of Catalonia approved a renewable energy decree on November 19, 2025, adopting measures that are meant to slash the permitting times, clarify rules pertaining to energy storage as well as energy community groups, and also ease the rollout when it comes to wind and solar projects, as per media reports from Spain.
Interestingly, the regional government anticipates the decree 22/2025 to halve the average processing time when it comes to new wind and solar installations from almost three years to somewhere around 18 months. According to the media, the decree makes the bureaucratic steps simplified by way of removing some internal reports, turning the procedures for upgrading grid infrastructure streamlined, and also enabling the developers to transfer the project permits much before commissioning begins in order to avoid cancellations.
The Renewable Energy Decree also goes on to establish the first regulatory framework in terms of energy storage projects along with the energy community groups in Catalonia. It, apparently, goes on to create a registry for energy communities and also outlines how the municipalities may go on to participate. Storage projects, which were in the past within a legal grey area, are now going to have clear permitting rules, with over 1,500 MW that’s already in the pipeline, as per a report from La Vanguardia.
It is also worth noting that the self-consumption wind projects are regulated for the very first time, hence helping the companies to install turbines in order to meet a part of their demand for electricity. The rules also go on to ease the solar canopies’ installation of almost up to four meters, which is equivalent to 13 ft high, and eradicate any prior approval in terms of renewable energy projects that fall below the 500 kW mark in order to promote distributed generation.
There are also certain other provisions that restrict solar development when it comes to irrigated farmland, extend the concession periods pertaining to the reversible hydropower projects from 25 years to 50 to 75 years, and speed up the permitting when it comes to transmission as well as distribution lines. The reform by Catalonia, just like the one that has taken place at the national level, is also intended so as to make the grid resilience much stronger post a nationwide blackout earlier in 2025, as per the media reports.
Some measures in the decree are meant at reducing local conflicts related to renewable energy projects through elevating participation processes and also decentralizing the dialogue platforms, while at the same time, preventing the municipalities from putting in place blanket bans.
Notably, the decree was met with wider parliamentary approval; however, only after the regional government eliminated the language that would classify renewables as projects that are overriding public interest, as planned originally, and also restricted their installation when it comes to irrigated farmland, reported the media.