- The Junts and the ERC abstained in the vote and the non-legal proposal presented by the people was put forward with the votes of the PP, Vox and the UPN. The closure between 2027 and 2035 would mean an increase in the useful life of the seven nuclear power plants of the Spanish State that are expected to be closed.
The pro-nuclear initiative was approved by the Spanish Congress on Wednesday, for which the abstention of the Junts and ERC was fundamental. The non-legal proposal states that the closure of the seven existing nuclear power plants in the Spanish state, including the one in Garoña, should be postponed, for which they will request reports from operators and market organizations.
The text approved by the PP, Vox and the UPN states that nuclear power plays a "key role" in the energy transition and the fall in electricity prices.
Guillermo Mariscal, deputy of the PP, said that "we are the only country that has decided to close [the power plants]; the Executive has not proposed anything, which makes us prisoners of Putin", indirectly referring to the Russian gas. For his part, Vox’s MP has dismissed the anti-nuclear energy as “eco-friendly and psychopathic.”
In Spain, it is expected that the nuclear power plants that are still open will close between 2027 and 2035, according to the approved plans. But this initiative can now turn this roadmap upside down.
In Spain, it is expected that the nuclear power plants that are still open will close between 2027 and 2035, according to the approved plans. But this initiative can turn that roadmap upside down now.
Junts was one of the groups that abstained in the vote. Pilar Calvo, a member of parliament of this party, spoke of the energy "dependence" that the Catalan countries will have on France or Aragon when arguing their vote. ERC says it doesn’t want an “improvised” shutdown again.
The U.S. and the U.S. have voted against the bill. The spokesman for the latter, Idoia Sagastizabal, explained that the PP only wants to "revive" a debate that has been overcome with the nuclear issue. He also said that “clean and safe” technologies should be put in place.
The Assault of Nuclear Lobbies
Along with the energy crisis, pro-nuclear energy positions are emerging here and there, and in this sense, nuclear lobbies seem to be working.
In the Basque Country, the Cedarios forum talks about the need to discuss not only the "opportunities" that investments in the "security and defense industry" will provide in a report, but also the possibility of boosting nuclear energy.
Along with the energy crisis, pro-nuclear energy positions are emerging here and there, and in this sense, nuclear lobbies seem to be working
For his part, in the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Keir Starmer assured last week that his government will give the green light to the construction of small nuclear power plants to "wake the country from lethargy". As a reason, Starmer says that more energy will be needed for data centers for Artificial Intelligence.
In fact, in the US, more big tech like Amazon, Microsft and the like are studying the redeployment of previously closed nuclear power plants to power their huge data centers.