Spain hits 50 GW solar milestone
Spain hits 50 GW solar milestone
Spain’s installed solar capacity reached 50 GW in early 2026 after adding about 8.7 GW in 2025, according to grid operator Red Eléctrica de España (REE).
Pilar Sánchez Molina
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From pv magazine Spain
Spain’s total installed generation capacity stands at 147.5 GW, of which 50.0 GW is solar, according to data from REE updated on Feb. 1.
The total includes 8.98 GW of self-consumption capacity, although Spanish solar association Unión Española Fotovoltaica (UNEF) places cumulative self-consumption installations at 9.3 GW.
Solar accounts for 33.9% of Spain’s installed power capacity and generated 18.4% of total electricity in 2025.
Castilla y León led annual solar additions with 2.03 GW of new capacity in 2025, followed by Andalusia with 1.96 GW and Castilla-La Mancha with 1.25 GW. Aragón added 636 MW, Extremadura 582 MW and Murcia 270 MW.
Wind ranks second with 33.26 GW, representing 22.5% of total installed capacity. Combined, wind and solar account for more than half of Spain’s generation capacity.
Castilla y León leads wind installations with 7.71 GW, or 23.2% of the national total, followed by Aragón with 5.97 GW (18%), Castilla-La Mancha with 4.98 GW (15%) and Galicia with 4.03 GW (12.1%).
Combined-cycle gas plants rank third with 26.25 GW, accounting for 17.8% of installed capacity. Hydropower represents 11.6%, with just over 17 GW installed. Nuclear capacity stands at 7.1 GW, or 4.8% of the total.
REE data as of Dec. 31, 2024, showed installed solar capacity at 32.35 GW, excluding self-consumption. Based on the latest figures, about 8.67 GW of additional solar capacity was installed in 2025.
Renewable energy authorizations declined in 2025. Spain granted permits for 8.19 GW of new renewable capacity during the year, down 69% from 2024. Solar accounted for 85.6% of the approved capacity, or 7.03 GW.
Grid access remains constrained. In 2025, developers requested 40 GW of grid access and connection permits, but 4.5 GW was approved. About 25 GW was rejected due to insufficient capacity, and 8.5 GW remains under review.