The Balearic government wants to accelerate the process of decarbonisation and make the islands "100% decarbonised" by 2040, ten years earlier than had been planned.
On Wednesday, there was a presentation of a report which includes this objective at the headquarters of the energy company Endesa. Produced by Monitor Deloitte in collaboration with Endesa, the report explains a plan for the Balearics and the Canaries to be "test beds" for the whole country in advancing energy transition and in proving that decarbonisation can be achievable within twenty years. In order to realise this, investment for the Balearics and the Canaries will need to be 30,000 million euros over the next two decades.
In the Balearics, a completely decarbonised energy system would reduce household energy costs by up to 72% and generate around 45,000 jobs. The Balearic vice-president and minister for energy transition, Juan Pedro Yllanes, said that the islands can be "pioneers" for decarbonisation and that achieving this by 2040 is not just a priority for the regional government but for all of society.
Yllanes stressed the importance of public authorities promoting this transition by providing the resources to make it possible, as it will generate wealth and employment. Achieving almost total energy sovereignty, he added, will be a matter of "individual and collective attitude" towards transport and energy consumption.
Marc Pons, the transport and housing minister, said that electricity strategy applies across a whole range of government policies. He gave as an example the electrification of the entire railway network and the 100% elimination of the use of diesel. For housing, he explained that all properties being built for the Ibavi housing agency have an A energy rating and insulation to reduce energy consumption to a minimum.