Extremadura
Extremadura shows renewable transformation: 2nd in Spain for solar capacity despite 2nd-lowest GDP per capita, with Europe's largest solar plants (590 MW).
Extremadura demonstrates how regions with Spain's lowest GDP per capita (€23,604—23.8% below national average) can leverage natural resources for economic repositioning. Agriculture dominates at 7.7% of GDP (vs 2.7% nationally), with agri-food representing over half of €3.3 billion in exports. Yet the region is transforming from agricultural backwater to renewable energy powerhouse: already second in Spain for installed solar capacity, third for photovoltaics, and among Europe's leading low-carbon economies.
The Francisco Pizarro (590 MW) and Núñez de Balboa (500 MW) solar plants rank among Europe's largest, capable of powering over 375,000 homes. Extremadura joins Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, and Andalusia in hosting nearly 60% of Spain's installed renewable capacity. The 2021-2030 Integrated Energy and Climate Plan positions the region as an energy transition leader. Iberdrola's new battery storage facilities (150 MW across multiple regions) enhance grid integration of this solar abundance.
GDP growth of 2.9% in 2024 exceeded expectations, though forecasts moderate to 1.9-2.1% for 2025. Urban employment increases while rural areas lag due to agricultural sector challenges. The economic model is transitioning: traditional agri-food exports (fruit, pulses) now coexist with solar infrastructure that transforms empty land—an asset in agricultural regions—into renewable energy production capacity. Extremadura's low population density and extensive terrain, historically liabilities, become advantages in an energy transition rewarding space for solar arrays.