In 2014, the municipal local development group was created in Puente la Reina. The following year, a group of young local experts were hired to conduct a socioeconomic research. The mayor, Oihan Mendo, explained that “for us it is important that those who do the research be here, so that that knowledge does not leave the area”. The study verified the weaknesses and strengths of the people: “We saw that we had great potential for renewables in our town and we started working on that line at the City Hall in 2015.”

First, energy planning was carried out and municipal contracts were signed with ethical companies that guaranteed renewable energies: “We studied how to make the least municipal consumption and started putting a few solar panels, for example in the haurreskola.” The commitment was linked to a company so that every kilometer citizens made on foot, running or by bicycle could receive some money: “Thanks to this we managed to put the solar panels on the haurreskola. It is very important for us to engage people and reduce their distance to the issue of energy. Let it be a project between the citizenry and the City Hall.”

Solar plates on the fronton deck

In 2018 the solar plate installation project was carried out on the fronton deck and in 2019 the 40 kilowatts solar panels were launched: “It is the first time in Euskal Herria that it is approved as shared self-consumption, that is, besides being a point of production and consumption, we take that energy to the six municipal infrastructures, and so we supply that electricity the city hall, the library, the house of culture, the pediment, the pavilion and the street light.

With the aim of raising public awareness and nurturing the interest in energy, through Izarkom they have installed a television on the City Hall door, where they report on the project of solar panels of the pediment.

Citizens' Energy Community

In 2018, the Puente la Reina City Council and the area’s development agency launched a participatory process to create a driving group among citizens. From there came Gares Energia, and citizenship is the one who leads this project: they will create an energy community on the other side of the fronton deck. “The City Hall wants to leave the citizens the other half of the front cover so that they can create an energy community and generate energy for their consumption in their homes.” In Gares it is important to expand this self-consumption option, “since the heritage of our historic center is very protected, as the Camino de Santiago passes through it and therefore you cannot place solar panels on the roof”.

In September 2020 Gares Energía has initiated a participatory process with all the people, explaining what a sustainable energy transformation is, what it would require to create an energy community, how it will be managed among them, how it will be legally structured ... The creation of an energy community is foreseen in 2021.

Hydraulic power plant

Another challenge for the City Hall is the renovation of the small hydroelectric power plant that operated from 1918 to 1983 and the establishment of the power station for self-consumption. The project will be written in 2021 “and if everything goes well, we hope that the plant will be restored in 2022,” says Mendo.

In addition, the following challenge of the City Hall, through a participatory process, is the elaboration of an ordinance for the installation of solar panels for self-consumption: “Through the ordinance we intend to make it easier for small businesses, local businesses and citizens to put solar panels in their homes.”