Bill to return hydroelectric plants to the State

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

1. The bill would require hydroelectric reversion files to start automatically, three years before the concession ends, with a maximum of one year for the Administration to decide. Missing that deadline would not cancel the procedure.
2. It would provide that, once the plants are returned, a public entity runs them under a special authorization and the profits become publicly owned. Technical management could stay private, but through contracts subject to public sector contracting law.
3. It would allow free transfer of the returned water rights to public entities for public utility or social interest purposes. For plants up to 5,000 kVA, the transfer would go to the municipality, county or province where the plant is located; in other cases, to the regional government.
4. It would require public entities that receive the plants to pay the economic activities tax on their operation, even though they are normally exempt from that tax.
5. It would ban anyone who fails to remove or demolish installations on public water land, including companies in the same business group, from obtaining new water concessions.
6. Reversion procedures already started and undecided would follow the new rules, and already returned plants would have one year to adapt to the law. The law would take effect the day after publication in the official state gazette, except measures that raise spending or cut revenue in the current budget.

Who it affects

• Companies holding hydroelectric concessions: Their reversion files would face fixed deadlines, and they could be barred from new concessions if they fail to demolish installations.
• Municipalities, counties and provinces hosting small plants: They could receive returned plants of up to 5,000 kVA for free.
• Regional governments (comunidades autónomas): They would receive plants over 5,000 kVA and must devote part of the revenue to the affected territory.
• Residents of territories with hydroelectric installations: Profits from returned plants would fund their economic and social restoration.

Words worth knowing

Reversión (reversion)

Returning hydroelectric installations to the State when the concession ends.

Concesión (concession)

Permission to use a public asset, such as water, for a set period of time.

Dominio público hidráulico (public water domain)

Waters and the land that belongs with them, owned by all and managed by the Administration.

Caudal ecológico (ecological flow)

The amount of water a river must keep to preserve its natural life.

Canon de regulación (regulation fee)

A payment made by those who use water regulated by reservoirs.

It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries