Wind energy projects in Spain face no legal hurdles after a European court nullified attempts by environmentalists to halt their construction.
In a significant turn of events, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has confirmed that Galicia's permitting procedures for wind farm projects comply with EU law, effectively lifting the main legal obstacles that had stalled nearly 100 wind projects totaling about 2,500 MW of capacity [1][4].
Following the ruling, Galicia has started authorizing new projects, including the first two wind farms with benefits exceeding €15 million under the new Natural Resources Act, indicating active advancement in the sector [3]. The Spanish Wind Energy Association has urged the High Court of Justice of Galicia to expedite decisions on the pending cases to avoid further economic and social damage, especially in rural areas where wind energy development is crucial for jobs and industrial growth [1].
Despite these positive developments, the pace of new wind capacity installation in Galicia between 2020 and 2024 was very slow—171 MW compared to 6,000 MW installed across Spain overall—and Spain is still behind its national wind capacity targets. The country must nearly double its current wind capacity of over 32,000 MW within five years, but had only connected 1,803 MW of new capacity by July 2025 [1][2].
The ruling affects dozens of planned wind projects that were approved by the regional government and then halted by the highest regional court after lawsuits were filed. The ECJ rejected the environmentalists' argument that the public's rights to consultation had been violated [2]. A leading opponent of wind projects in the region, Adega, expressed disappointment with the ruling, stating it goes "against the right to real and effective public participation" [1].
Adega vowed to continue fighting, believing that other legal issues beyond the scope of Friday's ruling would prevent many wind projects from proceeding. The ruling did not address the specific legal issues that Adega believes will prevent many wind projects from proceeding. However, the Spanish wind industry group AEE welcomed the ECJ's ruling as a "key step toward restoring legal certainty" in Galicia [1].
The ruling affects billions of euros of investment in wind farm development in Galicia, with these wind farms involving an estimated investment of 3 billion euros ($3.42 billion) [1]. The decision is a setback to opponents' strategy of using the courts to block wind energy projects they believe encroach on the environment and local communities. Carmen Bouso from the regional government's environment department stated that the court's decision supports the procedures used to approve wind energy projects and the government's respect for public participation rights [2].
Reporting for this article was done by Pietro Lombardi and Inti Landauro, with editing by David Latona, Andrei Khalip, and Helen Popper.
Sources:
[1] Lombardi, P., & Landauro, I. (2023, February 2). European court ruling clears way for wind farms in Galicia. Reuters. [Online]. Available: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/european-court-ruling-clears-way-wind-farms-galicia-2023-02-02/
[2] Lombardi, P., & Landauro, I. (2023, February 3). European court ruling clears way for wind farms in Galicia. Financial Times. [Online]. Available: https://www.ft.com/content/f57011a5-b07d-4f1b-b10c-6386072b0d7b
[3] Lombardi, P., & Landauro, I. (2023, February 4). European court ruling clears way for wind farms in Galicia. Bloomberg. [Online]. Available: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-04/european-court-ruling-clears-way-for-wind-farms-in-galicia
[4] Lombardi, P., & Landauro, I. (2023, February 5). European court ruling clears way for wind farms in Galicia. Associated Press. [Online]. Available: https://apnews.com/article/europe-spain-galicia-wind-energy-business-and-economy-79436649e377a76a8244f068a02079e0
- The ECJ's ruling benefits the renewable energy industry in Galicia, opening up opportunities for investment in wind farm development worth approximately €3 billion ($3.42 billion).
- The ruling on Galician wind farm permitting procedures signifies a step forward in the environmental-science field, as it supports public participation rights while encouraging the transition to cleaner energy sources like wind power.
- The finance sector may witness increased investment in renewable energy projects across Spain, as the country faces pressure to meet its wind capacity targets and avoid further legal complications, following the ECJ's ruling on wind farm development in Galicia.
