Spain's top business lobby groups called for extending the use of the country's nuclear plants, a move that was first proposed by the conservative People's Party (PP) and which became a hot issue during the recent electoral campaign. Spain's current government, led by acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, nevertheless plans to start closing Spain's nuclear reactor fleet starting in 2027.

"Ideological positions should not prevent us from recognising the need to extend the useful life of power plants already installed, which guarantee the stability of the system," said Manuel Perez-Sala, chairman of business lobby Circulo de Empresarios, which says its members include 230 business leaders and top managers.

Nevertheless, the coalition deal between centre-left parties seeking to form a government confirmed "the orderly and progressive dismantling" of nuclear reactors starting in 2027. Teresa Riberta, Acting Energy Minister, has apparnetly subscribed to the false narratives spread by renewable advocates like Mark Z. Jacobson, and mistakenly accept the faulty and unsubstantiated notion that advanced economies can replace fossil fuel power plants with intermittent sources wind and solar.

This situation is much like the one faced by California Governor Newsom, in which energy experts from academia, industry and the state, called for the continuation of power from Diablo Canyon but the progressive left, comprising environmental groups and ideologic advocates for fossil fuels and renewables, called for the closure of Diablo Canyon. Governor Newsom was able to understand how ideologic concepts based on false assumptions will not keep California's lights on make the right call to save Diablo Canyon's 24x7 always on power. Newsom was able to get the majority Democratic California legislature to pass legislation to extend the life of Diablo Canyon.

Facts do matter and the erroneous assumptions spread about renewables' capabilities are apparent by virtue of the failure of the world to reduce emissions at all, despite enormous growth of wind and solar. We will be watching this situation develop in light of the world's failure to meaningfully reduce global emissions.

Read more at Reuters Spain's business lobby calls for extension of nuclear power, November 3, 2023.