1st round table on renewable energies: Donostia

Round table: Renewable energies in the Basque Country: conflict or solution?

• 📅 Date: 23 February, thursday
• 🏛 Place: Donostia, Carlos Santamaria centre
• 🕤 Time: from 17:00 to 20:00 hours

Here is a  small chronicle of the event: Berriztagarrietatik kontsumo aldaketara (Berria)

Soon we will also publish a video and a text collecting the contents of the debate.

As you are well aware, the projects and plans that are appearing these days in the Basque Country to promote renewable energies have generated unrest, heated debates and a certain amount of conflict in different places. The energy and eco-social transition is a task in which it is necessary to think and plan well where and how to establish the infrastructures, in the most democratic way possible, because otherwise, the whole project could be ruined.

The Ekopol research group at the University of the Basque Country/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU) believes that it may be important to make an effort to channel calm and reasonable debates. For this reason, together with EHUgune, we have organised several round tables, trying to synthesise and transfer all the discourses and reflections on the subject.

We have chosen three dates and three places so that as many people as possible have the opportunity to attend. The speakers will have different profiles and opinions on the three occasions.

The first round table will be in Donostia, on 23 February, at 17:30 in the Carlos Santamaria centre (Ibaeta Campus).
The second, in Vitoria-Gasteiz, on 23 March, at 18:00.
The third and final event will be in Bilbao, on 25 April, at 18:00, at the Bizkaia Aretoa.

Admission is free. To register, please fill in this form.

We look forward to seeing you there!

The speakers who will be in Donostia:

Aitor Aldasoro (EAJ-PNV)

A 55-year-old resident of Beasain and father of three children. Since he was a child he has seen and assimilated patriotism and politics. He is an electronic engineer by training. He has worked at Radio Miramar, Euskadi Irratia, Orona and Sapa. He is currently on leave of absence from Euskadi Irratia. In 2003 he began working as a councillor for Basque language in Beasain Town Council. In December 2020 he left first the Parliament and then the Government. Passionate about sport and bertsolaritza.

Alvaro Campos (UPV-EHU)

Researcher and lecturer at the University of the Basque Country UPV-EHU, he teaches on the Degree in Renewable Energy Engineering. Since 2012, PhD in Thermal Engineering, developing his research on issues related to energy efficiency, thermal storage and renewable energies. He combines his research activity with activism in the field of just energy transition, decentralised systems and energy cooperatives. In this way, he is part of several collectives such as the Interkonexio Elektrikorik Ez! platform and the Mutual Support Network in Response to Energy Megaprojects.

Alazne Arruti (GoiEner)

Graduate in Renewable Energy Engineering from the UPV/EHU. She works in the technical office of the non-profit group Goiener, a member-worker of the Nafarkoop cooperative since 2020. Specialised, above all, in photovoltaic energy. Currently, with the collaboration of Goiener, she works mainly in the participatory training processes of the Renewable Energy Communities that are being developed in Gipuzkoa.

Hodei Arzak (Ekiola)

Hodei Arzak, engineer at LKS KREAN and director of the EKIAN project, talks to Onda Vasca about the largest photovoltaic energy project in the Basque Country. The solar park is being built on the ARASUR industrial estate thanks to the collaboration of KREAN and the Basque Energy Agency.