Films like Carla Simón’s Alcarràs (2022) and Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s As Bestas (2022) shed light on often overlooked social issues related to the renewable energy sector in Spain. While rooted in local realities, their narratives are universal, reflecting on the complex energy transition and its socio-environmental challenges.
In recent years, growing public demand for more equitable and transparent community participation within energy projects has surfaced long-standing tensions, provoking a surge in social conflicts in the communities in which the projects are situated.
Regions such as Galicia, where wind energy development has reignited disputes about the current renewable deployment model, serve as a nearby and relevant case. The Canary Islands, historically linked to Galicia through emigration to Latin America, are closely watching these debates – aware that similar concerns could emerge within their own territory.
Although the Canary Islands are not yet experiencing a renewable energy infrastructure boom, we believe this is the right moment to study and design energy development models tailored to the archipelago’s specific context.
At Aquatera Atlántico, part of the Aquatera Group, we have directly participated in dialogues and negotiations between local communities, governments, and renewable energy developers. Learning from other experiences and approaches is key to building a fairer, more integrated model, as sought after by affected communities; Such socially-conscious approaches, and the benefits they offer for the renewable energy development, have yet to be fully integrated in Spanish policy or the country’s renewable energy industry.
The Scottish Example: Guidelines for Fair Community Development
In Scotland, the government has established “Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments ”, providing a roadmap for how developers should engage with communities, share benefits, and ensure fairness. These guidelines emphasise the importance of early, transparent, and meaningful consultation that allows communities to influence the design and outcomes of projects.
Developers are expected to provide clear information and build trust through ongoing dialogue. Flexible community benefit schemes tailored to local needs are encouraged, often including financial contributions, a focus on local employment, and support for community initiatives. Shared ownership models are also promoted, enabling communities to have a direct stake in renewable projects.
As for economic benefits, the Scottish Government recommends community payments of around £5,000 per megawatt (MW) installed per year, adjusted for inflation over the project’s lifetime. The model also includes the development of Community Action Plans and principles of good governance. Some onshore wind developers have voluntarily offered higher community benefit payments; Bute Energy in Wales, for example, has committed to paying £7,500 per MW per year.
Regarding offshore renewable energy, while official guidelines have yet to be published, the Scottish Government launched a public consultation in 2018 “Scottish Government Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Offshore Renewable Energy Developments ” which spurred the formation of working groups to define guidelines, showing a sustained commitment to community involvement.
Boosting Community Ownership and the Local Economy
“Scotland’s National Planning Framework (NPF4) ” reinforces this vision by prioritising community wealth building and local ownership to maximise territorial economic value. NPF4 supports the creation of local businesses and community management of assets, while addressing energy poverty through decentralised, efficient networks and affordable local generation.
Community benefits are expected to go beyond job creation or training programs; direct and sustained payments to communities, whether through financial contributions or local electricity discounts, are prioritized to ensure meaningful and lasting impact. This model puts communities at the centre, granting them not only tangible economic benefits, but also a voice, control, and genuine participation in the energy transition. It is undoubtedly a model that could inspire new policy in Spain, where a more centralised and less inclusive approach still predominates.
Models of Community Participation
According to the Community Benefit Consultancy (2025) report by Aquatera, VOAR, and Community Energy Scotland, which was produced for the Shetland Islands Council, the most effective way to maximise local value is through full ownership of projects by recognised community organisations. This model, tested over more than 20 years in Scotland, generates significant revenue and has a positive impact on local economies, businesses, and supply chains.
When full ownership isn’t possible, the next most effective model is credible shared ownership, in which the community assumes a proportional share of financing and operations, and maintains full control over its share of revenues – ensuring meaningful, rather than symbolic, participation.
Other models exist, offering different degrees of control and benefit for communities:
- Joint Venture: A shared entity is created between the community and the developer. While the community is often a minority shareholder, it can gain voting rights to influence the project.
- Shared Revenue: The developer retains full ownership, but the community purchases a share of the revenue, without involvement in project management.
- Split Ownership: The project is physically divided; for instance, the community owns a specific wind turbine, and the rest belongs to the developer. While requiring more infrastructure, this model enables access to specific benefits for the community-owned portion.
A study by Aquatera for the Point and Sandwick Development Trust “A Comparison of the Financial Benefits Arising from Private and Community Owned Wind Farms” (2021) compared the economic benefits of community- vs privately-owned wind farms. The average annual community donation was £170,000 per MW installed, 34 times higher than the private industry standard. The highest-performing community wind farm reported donations 60 times above the industry standard.
Towards a Fair Renewable Energy Model for the Canary Islands
Exploring ownership models and community benefit schemes tailored to local needs is a shared responsibility, particularly for local government bodies, which should lead the development of guidelines that incorporate citizens’ voices from the earliest stages of project planning. Only in this way can active and equitable public participation in the archipelago’s energy transition be ensured.
The “Draft Decree on Local Participation in Renewable Energy Projects” regulates citizen participation in the development of renewable energy in the Canary Islands, aligning with Law 6/2022 and European directives. Its main objective is to establish a regulatory framework that promotes the democratisation of energy by enabling direct involvement of local residents in solar and wind installations with a minimum capacity of 2 MW.
The document outlines the types of participation, eligibility requirements, and the procedures to follow. It also proposes the creation of a Monitoring Commission to oversee the implementation of the decree. The goal is to achieve at least 20% local economic participation in each project, with a minimum of 10% reserved for individual citizens.
However, the decree does not consider direct community compensation mechanisms, such as those implemented in Scotland, where £5,000 per installed MW is paid annually. It also fails to clarify whether offshore renewable energy projects are included, as it only refers to land use.
This legal framework aims to promote public acceptance of renewable energy and maximize its socioeconomic benefits for local communities. Nonetheless, it still presents areas for improvement and gaps that must be addressed in order to achieve a truly fair and inclusive energy transition in the Canary Islands. The Scottish case demonstrates that the energy transition depends not only on technology, but also on the ability of territories to build trust, dialogue, and shared responsibility. In the Canary Islands, where energy and territory are closely tied to the identity and well-being of local communities, moving toward a truly participatory model will be key to ensuring that the benefits of both onshore and offshore renewable energy remain in the islands and strengthen their economic and social resilience.
