To hear Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain tell it, Spaniards enjoy an enviable degree of immunity from the high oil and gas prices caused by the war in Iran.
As other world leaders panic over rising fuel costs, Mr. Sánchez says Spain is less at risk because it has shifted so quickly to renewable energy like solar, wind and hydroelectric power.
“Spain can demonstrate examples of how investing in renewable energy helps our households experience a lower impact from gas price increases,” Mr. Sánchez said in Brussels on Thursday.
Last Saturday, for example, electricity in Spain cost roughly one-seventh what it did in France and Germany, Mr. Sánchez said.
Is Mr. Sánchez right? Kind of …
Mr. Sánchez has a lot to point to. Spain’s grid operator attributes 57 percent of the country’s electricity to renewable sources, about 10 percent more than what the European Union says is the bloc’s average.
Vast fields of solar panels capture all that Spanish sunshine. Wind turbines dot the sprawling Spanish landscape. Hydroelectric plants capture the power of Spanish rivers. This year’s good weather has allowed Spain to increasingly turn to renewables.
That, and the 20 percent of energy Spain gets from nuclear power, has often allowed it to keep its electricity prices lower than places that are more dependent on natural gas, like Britain and Italy.
But that’s only half the story.
Even in Spain the sun does not perpetually shine. Sometimes, the wind dies down. Droughts happen. During colder times of the year, renewables are insufficient for the electric grid. So nuclear and gas plants need to be kept operating to keep the lights on.
And this is where things get tricky. In the wholesale energy market, prices are set by the cost of the last energy source that is introduced to the electric grid. Since Spain turns last to gas plants, it’s the gas companies that often set the higher price, driving costs up across the board.
That is actually good news for solar, wind, hydro and nuclear providers. They get a windfall from the higher prices.
Consumers get higher electric bills and households often end up paying as much as many of their European neighbors.
So what’s the whole story?
Mr. Sánchez is right that, last Saturday, Spain’s electricity cost much less than in France and Germany. But that’s not always the case.
“He’s cherry picking,” said Pedro Linares, professor of industrial engineering at Comillas Pontifical University in Madrid.
Professor Linares said that Spain was enjoying a stretch of good spring weather with full reservoirs for hydropower after a rainy season. Once summer starts, the reservoirs will provide less power, forcing Spain to rely more on gas.
Spanish electricity bills are also inflated by taxes and charges that are levied to keep the electric grid running and safe, the professor said.
And even though Spain’s electric grid is driven mostly by renewables, its homes are still heated and its cars still fueled by oil and gas.
“We are still very much reliant on fossil fuels,” said Professor Linares. “And so very much affected by the cost of oil and natural gas.”
Spain’s energy mix can be complicated.
Last April, Spain suffered a blackout that kept much of the country in the dark for up to 10 hours.
The causes were complex. But what seemed clear was that Spain — at least for now — still needs at least some gas and nuclear power in its system to avoid possible imbalances from renewable energy.
Jason Horowitz is the Madrid bureau chief for The Times, covering Spain, Portugal and the way people live throughout Europe.
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