The energy transition: Impacts, benefits and perspectives on different territorial scales

Abstract

The energy transition forms an integral part of the essential transformation to achieve sustainability. Indeed, the transition from the fossil system to renewable energies requires a change from the energy sources involving finite stocks in foreign countries that emit greenhouse gases (a global limit) to a more extensive use of local land and of stocks of foreign materials for the collectors of renewable flows. This new paradigm based on a lower density of electrical generation and on dependence on local conditions means that territorial distribution acquires greater prominence. This article analyses the transformation of the electrical system in Catalonia from the regional perspective. The impacts and variables act on different scales. Planning and distribution cannot be optimized because each stakeholder has its own perspective and prioritization of goals. Consequently, this planning calls for in-depth reflection and discussion on the subject of the country’s model.