Murcia local government takes Spain’s solar shutdown laws to constitutional court

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

The local government of the region of Murcia is taking the Spanish government to the country's constitutional court over its attempts to cull support for solar energy in the country.

In July a raft of new measures to cut Spain’s energy budget deficit of €26 billion (US$34 billion) were announced.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

These included a retroactive cap of 5-5.5% after tax on the profit margins of PV projects. For many this will be less than the cost of borrowing.

The rules also “criminalised” self-consumption by forcing people who had installed panels for their own use to buy their own electricity at a tariff above the market rate. Using it directly could see fines of up to €30 million (US$40 million).

Murcia, on Spain’s east coast, has been hit particularly hard.

“The government of Murcia took this decision in order to defend the interests of the thousands of investors will be affected by this new regulation and consider moving on may have serious economic consequences for the region,” a spokesperson for the Murcia government said.

The case is built around two main points according to Murcia's government; firstly that the retroactive nature of the changes are a breach of the constitution and secondly that they discriminate against renewables versus other forms of energy generation.

It is also possible that the changes have breached the international 1994 Energy Charter Treaty by failing to “encourage and create stable, equitable, favourable and transparent conditions for Investors of other Contracting Parties to make Investments in its Area”.

Read Next

October 10, 2025
Australia's renewable energy sector recorded its slowest month of the year for additions in September, with 5.8GW of new projects added to development pipelines, according to data from Rystad Energy.
October 9, 2025
The Australian government has announced the results of the fourth Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) tender, with 6.6GW of renewables awarded long-term contracts.
October 9, 2025
Solar PV is the world’s cheapest technology to generate electricity, according to a study from the University of Surrey, in the UK.
October 9, 2025
Entergy Arkansas has announced plans to build a 600MW solar-plus-storage project to support a new data centre to be built by Google.
October 9, 2025
Singapore-based Sembcorp Industries has agreed to acquire ReNew’s 300MW solar power unit in India for around US$246 million.
October 9, 2025
Avaada has inked an MoU with the Gujarat government to develop solar, wind, and BESS worth INR360 billion (US$4.05 million). 

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK