The Galician Energy Situation In An European Context

The present-day hegemonic energy model brought about an unprecedented surge in the evolution of the global demand for energy, the main source of which was non-renewable energy. The discovery of new oil, gas and coal deposits does not go hand in hand with consumption. An additional problem is the environmental damage caused by all of the phases, from extraction to the final use of energy. Renewable energy has emerged as an essential solution, although at the moment it is insufficient. The Galician energy situation shares many of these characteristics, which brought about an in depth transformation in the Galician energy sector during the last few decades. Today, we face a new moment of transition. Similarly, the EU is taking steps to promote a common energy policy which will provide a solution to the great challenges it will face in the not too distant future. Although there are similarities between the Galician situation and that of the EU, there are still great differences regarding the type of primary sources or the weight given to renewable sources. In both cases, a reductionistic vision of the energy policy is still being given, as if it were just another sectorial policy, without considering that it affects every sector of the economy, above all social sectors, and that it has far reaching environmental consequences.