Spain's government has unveiled its much-anticipated Social Climate Plan, which will see almost 9 billion euros ($10.48 billion) of public money made available for measures including housing reform, a transport revolution, and bringing the benefits of renewable energy to all parts of society.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has been very public in his efforts to shift the country toward renewable energy whenever and however possible. The BBC reported that in 2017, one-third of Spanish electricity came from renewables, with that figure rising to 57 percent in 2024, on the way toward a target of 81 percent by the year 2030.

Talking about the new proposals, which it is hoped will raise living standards while also cutting energy bills and reducing emissions, Sanchez said: "The energy revolution cannot be allowed to benefit only those who can afford to change their car, install solar panels on their roofs, or refurbish their homes without public support … so that no one has to choose between making it to the end of the month or the end of the century."

Funding will be set aside for public transport, especially in rural parts of the country, which will make it almost free to use, and Sanchez has repeated his belief that the climate crisis and economic growth are inextricably linked, so positive steps to deal with one help the other.

Spain's ambitious energy transition plans have become particularly politically significant since large parts of the country and neighboring Portugal were hit by a blackout in April 2025, which drew criticism from Alberto Nunez Feijoo, a prominent right-wing opponent of the government.

It is also being watched by a more global audience, not least because of the role being played in the transition by China.

The town of Figueruelas in Aragon, in the northeast of Spain, is home to many of the country's wind and solar energy farms, as well as being where a facility is currently being built, with the help of Chinese manufacturer CATL, that will produce batteries for electric vehicles.

Spain has Europe's second-largest auto industry, and benefits from labor costs and industrial energy prices that are lower than in many other European countries.

Reuters reported that CATL's joint venture with Netherlands-based Stellantis was worth 4.1 billion euros, was China's biggest ever investment in Spain, and, according to China's Ambassador to Spain Yao Jing, "one of the biggest Chinese investments Europe has ever seen".

At the groundbreaking ceremony in Figueruelas last November, Spain's Industry and Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu said learning about the latest technology from those who are setting the pace was key to the project, and that the country was "open and ready to collaborate and build with all countries of the world, especially China".

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