Elon Musk Advocates for 'Emptied Spain' as Europe's Solar Powerhouse, Citing Hurdles

Musk's Vision for European Energy Security

During the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 22, 2026, entrepreneur Elon Musk put forth a bold proposition: the rural, sparsely populated regions of Spain, often referred to as 'España vaciada', possess the potential to generate sufficient solar power to meet the entire energy demands of Europe. Musk asserted that the necessary technology for such a large-scale undertaking already exists, but identified 'political coordination and investment' as the primary barriers preventing its realization. He also mentioned Sicily as another region with similar potential.

Spain's Growing Solar Capacity

Spain is recognized for its abundant sunshine and extensive rural areas, making it an ideal location for solar energy development. The country has made significant strides in its renewable energy transition. As of February 2025, solar photovoltaic (PV) emerged as the leading technology in Spain's installed power capacity, reaching 32,043 MW and accounting for nearly 25% of the nation's total capacity. In 2023 alone, Spain added 9.3 GWdc of PV capacity, bringing its cumulative installed capacity to 39.4 GWdc. The country's updated 2023 National Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) projects solar PV capacity to reach 76 GW by 2030. Furthermore, Spain boasts Europe's largest pipeline of utility-scale solar projects, with 29.5 GW already operational and an additional 7.8 GW under construction as of May 2024.

Acknowledged Hurdles and Official Response

Despite Spain's natural advantages and ambitious goals, the path to fully harnessing its solar potential is not without obstacles, aligning with Musk's observations. Historically, Spain's renewable energy sector has faced challenges, including retroactive cuts to feed-in tariffs (FITs) that previously led to a downturn in the solar PV market, resulting in financial losses and diminished investor confidence. More recently, political divisions have hindered the implementation of crucial technical reforms aimed at modernizing the electricity grid and supporting renewable energy expansion. The rejection of Royal Decree-Law 7/2025, which included measures to streamline wind farm repowering and expand self-consumption, drew criticism from the renewable energy sector.

Investment in the utility-scale solar segment is reportedly stagnating due to a disconnect between supply and demand, leading to 'price cannibalization' during peak solar production hours. However, the Spanish government remains committed to its renewable targets, aiming for 74% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and allocating €6.385 billion to the energy transition. In response to Musk's specific proposal, Spain's Third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Sara Aagesen, dismissed it as 'a complete extravagance,' emphasizing Spain's existing 'well-defined agenda' for ecological transition that prioritizes citizens, sustainability, and territorial balance.