The Cortes of Aragón approved this Thursday the tax on renewable energies with the support of PP and Vox, the two parties that form the government. The norm has gone ahead with a substantial reduction on the initial collection plans, and it is estimated that it will allow between 26 and 28 million euros to enter the regional coffers.
The objective of this tax, as stated last March by the second vice president, Mar Vaquero, is to tax the adverse environmental and visual impact on the natural environment, its landscape, flora and fauna, as well as reverse part of the benefits that companies generate in the affected territory.
In relation to wind energy, the installed power and the height of the windmills are taken into consideration, which will be the factors that determine the impact. With respect to photovoltaic parks, the number of occupied hectares is computed, excluding projects installed on roofs and roofs, linked to self-consumption. And, on high-voltage power lines, the tax is set by the kilometers of line.
This is a tax similar to that already applied by other communities with strong implementation of renewables such as Galicia, Castilla-La Mancha or Castilla y León. From the Executive, at first they assured that they did not fear that the tax would have a deterrent effect, since the cost of the tax was “very little” for “the large companies” that manage these facilities.
However, during the hearing sessions prior to its approval, representatives of the sector were very harsh and warned that the investments could go to other autonomies with less or no tax burden. For this reason, PP and Vox reconsidered the tax on wind energy so that it is lower than the average of the other territories where it is applied.
Where both parties did not reach a similar agreement was with the rate on photovoltaic plants, which the popular parties also opted to lower. Finally, not without controversy, the measure has gone ahead thanks to the abstention of the PSOE, which has allowed the PP to overcome the vote against Vox to the reduction promoted by the conservatives. The socialists have justified their position by “consistency” with the draft approved in the previous legislature, when they governed, and the need to have a tax that had an environmental purpose.
For the popular Blanca Puyuelo, the community thus manages to provide itself with a “balanced and fair” environmental tax that will allow between 26 and 28 million to be earned and 65% of the proceeds to be allocated to the territory affected by the deployment of renewables and the fight against depopulation. .
He also added that the Aragon Energy Solidarity Fund will be increased with the money collected from all environmental taxes (dammed water and power lines) and not only with the money from renewables. “They will receive more and in more municipalities,” he concluded.
