https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed In the western Spanish village of Almaraz, the uncertain future of the country's biggest nuclear power plant casts a shadow over the livelihoods of 4,000 people. https://www.thelocal.es/20260504/itll-be-a-desert-village-fights-closure-of-spains-largest-nuclear-plant Mon, 04 May 2026 06:45:28 +0200 itll-be-a-desert-village-fights-closure-of-spains-largest-nuclear-plant The European Union said on Tuesday that it was considering importing more jet fuel from the US and requiring member states to hold minimum reserves as the Middle East war squeezes supplies. Brussels will lay out a series of measures on Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.es/20260421/we-must-be-ready-eu-to-lay-out-its-plan-to-deal-with-jet-fuel-crisis Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:48:22 +0200 we-must-be-ready-eu-to-lay-out-its-plan-to-deal-with-jet-fuel-crisis Spain and Poland might have run afoul of European Union rules with their tax cuts on fuels aimed at curbing the economic impact of the Middle East war, the European Commission said Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.es/20260409/eu-warns-spain-over-tax-cuts-on-fuels Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:23:08 +0200 eu-warns-spain-over-tax-cuts-on-fuels The price of diesel fuel has rocketed by more than 30 percent across Europe since the start of the Middle East war highlighting the continent's dependence on imported energy and the lingering prominence of diesel on the car market. https://www.thelocal.es/20260404/european-drivers-choke-on-rising-diesel-prices Sat, 04 Apr 2026 16:17:02 +0200 european-drivers-choke-on-rising-diesel-prices Spain and four other European Union nations have called for a tax on windfall profits of energy companies in response to rising fuel prices due to the Middle East war, Spanish Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said Saturday. https://www.thelocal.es/20260404/five-eu-nations-urge-tax-on-energy-firms-windfall-profits Sat, 04 Apr 2026 14:12:23 +0200 five-eu-nations-urge-tax-on-energy-firms-windfall-profits War in the Middle East has caused energy market volatility around the globe, forcing governments in Europe to intervene and keep fuel costs down for consumers. https://www.thelocal.es/20260328/what-are-european-countries-doing-to-keep-fuel-costs-down Sat, 28 Mar 2026 14:13:15 +0100 what-are-european-countries-doing-to-keep-fuel-costs-down Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced Friday a sweeping package worth €5 billion ($5.8 billion) aimed at cushioning the economic impact of the Middle East war, including a "drastic reduction" in energy-related taxes. https://www.thelocal.es/20260320/rent-fuel-and-bills-spain-to-spend-e5-billion-to-ease-middle-east-war-fallout Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:32:36 +0100 rent-fuel-and-bills-spain-to-spend-e5-billion-to-ease-middle-east-war-fallout Last year's paralysing blackout in Spain and Portugal was caused by a "perfect storm of multiple factors", according to a final report by an expert panel published Friday. https://www.thelocal.es/20260320/how-the-perfect-storm-caused-spains-blackout Fri, 20 Mar 2026 11:18:07 +0100 how-the-perfect-storm-caused-spains-blackout EU's energy chief Dan Jorgensen called on member states to help consumers and businesses by lowering taxes on energy where possible, as war in the Middle East saw oil and gas prices surge. https://www.thelocal.es/20260310/eu-countries-urged-to-lower-energy-taxes-to-reduce-consumer-bills Tue, 10 Mar 2026 17:18:48 +0100 eu-countries-urged-to-lower-energy-taxes-to-reduce-consumer-bills If you're planning on renovating your Spanish home in order to improve its energy efficiency, Spain has extended its €3,000 subsidy for 2026. Here's how to claim it. https://www.thelocal.es/20260202/how-to-get-a-e3000-energy-efficiency-subsidy-for-your-spanish-property Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:38:26 +0100 how-to-get-a-e3000-energy-efficiency-subsidy-for-your-spanish-property What happens if you want to change your electricity supplier in Spain? How do you go about it and what are the pitfalls to watch out for? https://www.thelocal.es/20231024/explained-how-to-change-your-electricity-provider-in-spain Tue, 24 Oct 2023 11:08:18 +0200 explained-how-to-change-your-electricity-provider-in-spain Spain urged the EU to keep a 2035 ban on new petrol cars, a letter showed Friday, as Brussels looked set to replace it with a less ambitious 90-percent emission-reduction target. https://www.thelocal.es/20251213/spain-urges-eu-to-keep-combustion-engine-ban-as-rethink-on-the-cards Sat, 13 Dec 2025 10:38:30 +0100 spain-urges-eu-to-keep-combustion-engine-ban-as-rethink-on-the-cards The EU said Wednesday it wants to boost energy links between France and Spain as part of a bloc-wide push to secure power supplies, months after a massive outage hit the Iberian Peninsula. https://www.thelocal.es/20251210/eu-seeks-better-spain-france-energy-links-after-blackout Wed, 10 Dec 2025 14:25:53 +0100 eu-seeks-better-spain-france-energy-links-after-blackout In the UK, there are various benefits available to help eligible people through the cold winter months – one of which is the winter fuel payment. But can Britons living in Spain claim this benefit to cover the cost of heating their Spanish homes? https://www.thelocal.es/20221128/can-british-people-in-spain-claim-the-uks-winter-fuel-payment Mon, 28 Nov 2022 13:27:51 +0100 can-british-people-in-spain-claim-the-uks-winter-fuel-payment Spanish authorities have received a request from the country's biggest nuclear power plant to extend its life beyond a scheduled shutdown in 2028, a government source said Friday. https://www.thelocal.es/20251025/spain-receives-request-to-extend-life-of-nuclear-plant Sat, 25 Oct 2025 10:34:37 +0200 spain-receives-request-to-extend-life-of-nuclear-plant Spain's electricity network suffered major voltage fluctuations in the past two weeks, the competition watchdog revealed on Wednesday, raising the spectre of a repeat of April's huge blackout. https://www.thelocal.es/20251009/is-another-major-blackout-on-its-way-to-spain Thu, 09 Oct 2025 10:12:24 +0200 is-another-major-blackout-on-its-way-to-spain If you don't pay your bills in Spain, like anywhere, you could have your water or electricity cut off. But when exactly will Spanish utility companies axe their services for you, and do they really cut supplies completely? Here's what you need to know. https://www.thelocal.es/20230531/when-will-they-cut-off-my-water-and-electricity-if-i-dont-pay-my-bills-in-spain Wed, 31 May 2023 17:53:15 +0200 when-will-they-cut-off-my-water-and-electricity-if-i-dont-pay-my-bills-in-spain When Spain's scorching summer temperatures come along, you need to look at all the possible ways of keeping cool. The big question is will a ceiling fan do the job well enough or is the extra cost of air-conditioning worth it? https://www.thelocal.es/20220720/ceiling-fan-vs-air-conditioning-in-spain-which-offers-the-better-price-coolness-ratio Wed, 20 Jul 2022 17:58:28 +0200 ceiling-fan-vs-air-conditioning-in-spain-which-offers-the-better-price-coolness-ratio The Spanish government on Tuesday announced a package of measures to strengthen its power grid and support renewable energy in a bid to avoid a repeat of the huge April blackout. https://www.thelocal.es/20250625/spain-moves-to-strengthen-power-grid-to-prevent-future-blackouts Wed, 25 Jun 2025 11:59:04 +0200 spain-moves-to-strengthen-power-grid-to-prevent-future-blackouts Spain's power grid operator and the country's electricity companies traded blame on Wednesday over the April blackout that crippled the Iberian Peninsula, a day after a long-awaited government report highlighted their responsibility. https://www.thelocal.es/20250618/spains-grid-operator-and-private-firms-blame-each-other-for-blackout Wed, 18 Jun 2025 19:17:43 +0200 spains-grid-operator-and-private-firms-blame-each-other-for-blackout