Spain to go Fully Renewable Energy by 2050

• government is committing to installing 3,000 MW of wind and solar power for the next 10 years. 
• government will not grant new licenses for fossil fuel drills, hydrocarbon exploitation, and fracking wells 
• 20% of the state budget will be dedicated to climate change 
• government and public sector employees will only be able to lease buildings that have almost zero energy consumption  
• improve energy efficiency by 35% in the next 11 years 
• plan to eventually become carbon neutral 

I found this article very interesting because it is an ambitious goal with clear measures as well as time constraints. I also thought it was very impressive that Spain was able to make this goal while in the US we have government leaders who don't even believe in climate change. The US has leaders who are cutting funding for climate change solutions. Countries making strides in recognition of climate change are always nice to see because of their size and influence. Governments have a lot of power and using that power to make needed change is essential.

I found it fascinating that the goal extended beyond simply using renewable energy sources and to the facilities used by government entities. I found that part to be endearing in the fact that they are trying to fulfill their goal in all the aspects it encompasses. It demonstrates that the government is committed to sustainability and not just preaching it. Another part of Spain's plan is to shut down all coal mines. The agreement includes plans to either retire miners, re-skill them for clean energy or transition them to environmental restoration. I thought that this was extremely considerate for all aspects of the economy. Making current energy resource jobs obsolete would weigh heavy on the economy so making sure that there is a smooth transition is key. People want job security and often times people feel threatened when there is transition in the economy away from their jobs. Spain is making the transition smooth for those people. It is amazing how Spain is trying to include all three pillars of sustainability in their plan.  I think it will be interesting to see if other countries follow a similar suit as well as how the implementation of the plan goes.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/13/spain-plans-switch-100-renewable-electricity-2050