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Clean energy for EU islands
  • Regulatory information
  • RES Permits and Authorisation Processes

Electricity production license process

Abbreviated form of legal source

  • Law 24/2013
  • RD 1955/2000

Description of the process

When the RE installation is already built, project developers shall apply for an electricity production license, also called commissioning certificate (article 53, Law 24/2013). Without this certificate the plant cannot start feeding electricity into the grid. The project developer shall apply for the license accompanying a certificate of completion of the work signed by a competent technician (RD 1955/2000). 

The General State Administration is responsible for authorizing electrical generation facilities with installed electrical power exceeding 50 MW and those located in the territorial sea, production, secondary transmission and distribution facilities exceeding the territorial scope of an Autonomous Community, and all primary transmission facilities, with the exception of the specificities established for island and extra-peninsular territories.

For rooftop PV and self-consumption, the regulation can vary according to the Autonomous Communities but, generally, an exploitation license is not required when the self-consumption units up to 100 kW of installed power. In these cases, the installer of the unit will issue a certificate of the installation instead

Competent authority

  • MITECO
  • Autonomous Communities
  • Industry and Energy Departments of the National Government Delegations

Technologies

Wind energy onshore

Relevant

Wind energy offshore
Solar energy

Relevant

Solar Thermal
Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy
Aerothermal
Hydrothermal
Hydro-power
Biogas
Biogas
Biomass