During the regional Plenary Session, the Minister of Environment, Agriculture, and Interior for the Community of Madrid, Carlos Novillo, expressed concern over the swiftness with which the Central Government handled 53 environmental impact statements related to photovoltaic megaplants. Novillo's central request is for an independent audit of this process and a cumulative territorial assessment. This evaluation would aim to measure the combined effect of these infrastructures on the landscape, biodiversity, agricultural land, and territorial planning of the region.
The Community of Madrid's request to the Government of Spain is based on the need for increased vigilance over files processed by the Ministry for Ecological Transition, especially following the Forestalia case investigation, which pointed to potential irregularities in energy installation authorizations. The minister argues that this precedent justifies a thorough review of other processed files.
“"There are reasons for distrust: the 53 environmental impact statements were studied, processed, and issued by socialist officials linked to a period under suspicion."
Novillo also warned of potential "alterations" in the logical order of environmental assessment, which, in his opinion, distorts planning and territorial management. He insisted that analyzing each project individually is not enough; a global vision is required to understand the impact of concentrating large plants in the same area. This approach, according to the minister, would align Spain with European Union standards and prevent fragmented decisions that ultimately disfigure the territory without a comprehensive analysis.
During the debate, the opposition demanded concrete evidence for the suspicions raised by the minister. However, Novillo reiterated that the independent audit requested from the Central Government is precisely the appropriate mechanism to clarify whether there were irregularities in the approval process of the aforementioned environmental impact statements.
