Spain

In Elche a solar macroproject threatens a protected place. It is only the tip of the iceberg of a problem throughout Spain

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Spain advances in its energy transition, but not without conflicts. In Galicia, for example, the expansion of wind farms has generated A growing social rejection for its impact on the landscape. Something similar happens in the teacher, where local communities They denounce the implementation of renewables without planning or consensus. Now, the conflict moves south of the province of Alicante. The voices of the protest. The environmental group friends of the wetlands of southern Alicante (AHSA) has resorted to the authorization of Lucinala, a macroproject of solar energy As detailed in their press release. The authorization was granted by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, despite the fact that the group presented allegations and a first resource last years, still unanswered. Although the project has been reformulated and its reduced surface, environmentalists continue to see it as a direct threat to the natural and agricultural values ​​of the Galvany Clot environment. Project chronology. Lucinala, a solar plant of more than 62 MW of power and 120 hectares of surface, has already received two administrative authorizations In just 15 months. Despite the unfavorable reports issued by entities such as the City Council of Alicante or the road unit, the central government gave the project to the project in January and April 2024, according to He explained The information. The local medium continues to detail that the promoter has introduced modifications in response to these institutional objections, such as the underground of evacuation lines, the elimination of an intermediate substation or the displacement of the electric layout. These measures allowed the project to raffle the main legal obstacles. However, they have not managed to dissipate the social or ecological opposition to the project. A protected area. In the province of Alicante there are about twenty protected placesnot as many as in other areas of Spain. For this reason, the location of the Lucinala plant is especially sensitive in a critical area from the environmental point of view: The Landscape Basin of Galvany Clot. This wetland, located in the municipality of Elche, has various protection figures, both regional and European. The Ecologists collective In your press release He has denounced that the set of eleven solar plants would occupy more than 190 hectares, a figure that exceeds in 10 hectares the total area of ​​the wetland itself. In addition, they added that 60 hectares of high quality agricultural land, 31 hectares of forest land and 25 hectares of areas with flood risk would be affected. And the ecological connection of the Clot was committed to the Serra of why, to the north, which would fragment key habitats for local fauna. This can bring tail. Beyond the specific case, AHSA, together with more than 150 organizations integrated into the Macrorenovable Platform, They have denouncedA speculative “bubble” driven by European subsidies Next Generation. On the other hand, AHSA has warned that renewable projects in process in Spain are already 144 GW of power, well above the 89 GW planned in The National Energy and Climate National Plan (PNIEC) 2021-2030. Even so, the Latest reports From Red Eléctrica de España (REE) they have indicated that, at the end of 2024, the installed renewable power reached 85.1 GW, very close to the marked objective. Reopening the debate. It is true that from the environmental group they insist that abandoning fossil fuels is urgent, but they warn that a poorly planned transition can reproduce old errors: concentration of energy power, loss of territorial sovereignty and false promises of sustainability. Instead, they bet on a fair transition, decentralized and sensitive to territory. At that crossroads, the question continues in the air: how to move towards clean energy without leaving behind the territory, biodiversity and those who inhabit it. Image | Pxhere and Ferran tab Xataka | Solar panels that clean other solar panels: the photovoltaic industry has entered its self -replicant phase

New York has released its new and revolutionaries garbage containers. They have been in Spain for decades

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They call it “The garbage revolution”although it really has little revolutionary. At least for any European accustomed to doing something as simple as throwing their waste into the garbage can. On Monday the New York authorities They took chest announcing its new and brand new strategy to manage the waste of the Big Apple, a pilot program that is now bounded to a neighborhood and,, according to their driversit will be a pioneer throughout the United States. So far not surprising beyond political rhetoric. The funny thing is what New York wants to boost that peculiar “revolution” of cleaning: with garbage cubes and trucks such as those seen in the streets of Spain for decades. Garbage. In New York, workers of the garbage collection service are forced to do something less and less frequent in Spain and most European cities: withdraw on the sidewalks plastic bags full of waste and throw them to the rear of a truck. For them it is a Latoso work. For the city, a problem: the bags are piled up in the streets, hinder the passage, generate bad odors, overthrow liquid and attract rats. In fact, the New York town hall has already had to see them with Rodents. That is why in countries like Spain a different strategy has been chosen for a long time. Collectors are installed in the streets so that citizens can throw their garbage bags inside, leaving them safe from rats and seagulls. Over the years the system has been purified with wild boar cubes, collectors endowed with Electronic locks that are unlocked with special cards and systems that facilitate the discharge of garbage inside the trucks. Revolution in New York. After half a century Of “accumulation of garbage in streets”, in New York they have decided to say enough and change their garbage collection model for a new one, very similar to that of Europe. The first step was taken in 2023, when the authorities demanded from the businesses of the food branch (from bars to supermarkets) that they deposit their waste in containers. A year ago that obligation extended to all companies and in recent months the same standard has been making its way between small residential buildings. The great change has now arrived with a pilot test in the streets of the Community Board 9 of Manhattan, where the use of containers will apply to all types of residential buildings, from small blocks of less than ten homes to the largest, with more than 30. The City Council claims that the neighborhood has thus become “the first neighborhood of North America to have 100% of its garbage in containers” and even speaks of a “garbage revolution.” An old flavor revolution. The most curious thing is that this revolution really has little revolutionary. At least from the perspective of Europeans, who have been (if not decades) accustomed to the tools with which New York now wants to improve the management of their garbage. The reason is simple: the change in the Harlem will basically be supported on three pieces, all integrated for a long time in the urban landscape of the Spanish cities: Empire garbage cubes with capacity for 3,000 L, collectors with wheels and side load trucks. Closed and card cubes. Over the last weeks the New York Health Department has dedicated itself to installing in West Harlem around 1,100 Empire containerswhich are the ones that present a small novelty. Unlike most garbage cubes that can be seen in Europe, these collectors will not be available to any neighbor who passes through the sidewalk. They will remain closed and their use will be assigned exclusively to a building, which can access the collector thanks to a special card. In fact, residents will not even pull the bags in the cube. The idea It is that they leave them in an area of ​​collection in the building itself and the cubes themselves handle them the staff of the buildings or the waste managers. It is not the model that is usually used in Spain, although here They also look card collectors. Measuring buildings. The largest blocks of West Harlem, those with more than 30 homes, have been assigned Great Empire Garbage Cubes. Those between 30 and 10 apartments are allowed to choose between that smaller model or containers with wheels and the buildings with less than a dozen families are asked to use 200 l cubes. To expedite the work of the operators, a year ago the City Council also presented a prototype of garbage collection truck with lateral load that can be handled by only two operators. In November the Consistory has already asked these smaller buildings for residential use to start using containers, which has a first idea of ​​what is their result. Your conclusions? “The first data show that the use of containers is working: since the demands entered into force, six months ago, the number of rats has decreased,” celebrate. A revolution with challenges. New York is discovering more than the use of containers. He has also encountered the challenges they represent. The New York Times public A chronicle This same Monday explaining how cleaning service employees have to deal with double -row cars that block the cubes and prevent trucks from accessing them. It also warns of the impact they will have on the parking spaces. The municipal authorities already calculate that expanding the program to the entire city would demand to eliminate 50,000 spaces to park vehicles. That without having the hundreds of millions of dollars that would require buying garbage cubes and collection trucks capable of attending the entire population of the Big Apple. Critics write down a “but” more: That the initiative to recycling does not expand. Image | City of New York In Xataka | The cities emptied during the pandemic. The rats took advantage of him to impose his reign

As of today, ATMs are also a revolution thing. Fintech launches its first physical network, and starts with Spain

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Which It started as a way to send and spend money Without commissions, a bank has ended up looking more and more. Revolutionwhich ten years ago was born in the United Kingdom as an app designed to simplify finances, it has become One of the most valuable Fintech in the sector. And his last play makes it clear: his own ATMs. Yes, ATMs. An idea that would have been difficult to fit in its early years, when it was unmarked from the traditional. But now it is a reality. The former will arrive in Spain, and not anywhere: the debut will be in the Spring Sound from Barcelonawhich starts today and extends until June 8. Spain, Revolution’s first physical laboratory. The company has chosen Spain to release its first physical product: a network of ATMs developed entirely in its Techhub in Barcelona. According to Revolution, the initial phase includes 50 terminals between Madrid and Barcelona, ​​which will be expanded until reaching 200 throughout the country. The former will be located at large points such as Avinguda Diagonal or Toledo Street, and can be located from the app by an interactive map. Barcelona’s choice is not accidental. The city not only houses one of the strategic development centers of the company, but also represents, according to the company itself, a key piece in its European expansion map. In fact, Revolution plans to take this network to other countries such as Germany, Italy or Portugal from 2026. Happy ATMs for a digital customer. The new ATMs do not look like the usual. They are designed with a modern interface, touch navigation, compatibility with contactless payments and multilingual support. They also offer functions designed to reduce friction: withdrawals without additional commissions for Revolution clients and immediate delivery of physical cards. Free withdrawals will be available both nationally and internationally and intra -Europe. For non -customers, the service will also be available “with a competitive commission.” In addition, Revolution plans to incorporate in the future the dynamic conversion option of currency (DCC), which will allow you to choose between the exchange rate of the emitter bank or that of Revolution at the time of withdrawal. And he will not remain in retired. The company also plans to enable cash deposits in later phases, thus expanding the range of accessible services from these physical points. The physical step of a 100 % digital experience. In the words of Manjot Bhati, Operating Partner of Revolution, “to launch our own ATMs network a decisive step in our mission of offering a truly global financial experience and without friction.” As we can see, with this movement, Fintech seeks to expand its footprint beyond the app. It is not a minor change. Revolut was born as a 100 % digital actor, without physical offices or windows. His commitment to their own ATMs suggests a new stage: one in which the physical does not contradict digital, but complements it. A stage where the cashier is no longer just an cash machine. We will have to see if this movement translates into a new success. Images | Aleksandrs Karevs In Xataka | Revolution is not just a threat to traditional banks. Now it is also for Teleoperators

The blackouts of Spain and London are a good example

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A couple of months ago, a fire in a substation left without electricity To a part of London and temporarily paralyzed Heathrow airport. A month later, the Iberian Peninsula suffered a mass blackout. Two incidents separated by kilometers, but united by the same question: how fragile is the electricity grid? More than is thought. The energy expert, Simon Gallagher has addressed this topiccategorically discarding the theories of sabotage or systematic negligence relying on data provided by UK Power Networks (UKPN) and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN). According to Gallagher, the failures in transformers are not only common, but also expected in such a complex system. UKPN, for example, reported about 400 failures of transformers a year, although only about 30 affect more than 500 customers. Although these failures can affect from small transformers in rural posts to large urban units, the figure has remained stable. Is it stable? Simon Gallagher is based on The 2024 UKPN annual reportwhere the average customer was without electricity just 29 minutes throughout the year, which is equivalent to an availability of the service of 99,994%. This level of reliability is the result of years of investment and continuous improvement. Since 2010/11, UKPN has reduced its lost minutes by client by 55% and interruptions by 43%. A very controlled system. The British electrical system is designed with a high degree of resilience. When a component fails, there are alternative routes through which electricity can be redirected, avoiding interruptions. This capacity is complemented with automatic failure detection technologies, which isolate the breakdowns in seconds and, in many cases, restore the supply without human intervention, Thanks to self -refrarable networks or Self-Healing Grids. To this is added Predictive maintenancewhich allows to replace or repair components before they fail, and a hierarchy of equipment that minimizes the impact of the failures: a failure on a low -load transformer affects little, while high voltage those receive greater protection. This robust architecture It is backed by the Riio-Ed2 regulatory frameworkpromoted by Ofgem, which forces distributors to maintain strict standards of reliability and response. So the blackout of Spain? While the British electrical system relies on a hierarchical network with high redundancy, predictive maintenance and self -repair technologies, the recent blackout in the Iberian Peninsula has shown that the resilience of the Spanish system needs to evolve in another direction. The more you know about the incident, less weight has the initial explanation focused on the lack of inertia by renewables. On the other hand, the absence of distributed storage, The lack of micro -redes capable of temporarily isolation of the main system and low capacity of local response. The blackout, even in the absence of official information so far we know that it was not due to a generation failure but to A chain disconnectionaggravated by a centralized architecture that could not contain the domino effect. This has revived the debate about the need to modernize the network; In that sense, the British model not only stands out for its technical robustness, but also for its regulatory anticipation against high renewable penetration scenarios. How invisible it works. In a world where what fails attracts more attention, it is worth remembering how extraordinary that, despite hundreds of daily technical failures, electricity continues to reach our homes without interruption. As Simon Gallagher concluded: “Everything fails … and yet the lights remain on.” Image | Senate Agr Xataka | Saving the network after the blackout has had a side effect: more expensive light and marketers to the limit

We have found the oldest human fingerprint in the world. He is 43,000 years old and someone left her in Spain

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Now we know a scene that occurred thousands of years ago. It happened more or less like this: a Adult Neanderthal He found a granite shot whose irregular shape, rich in quartz and natural clefts, possibly evoked for his eyes more than a simple stone: it looked like an elongated face. What followed was a seemingly minimal act, but full of significance. He left the oldest human footprint ever known, and did it in Spain. The art of Neanderthals. The scene has now described the scientists and calculate what happened about 43,000 years in what is today the province of Segovia. As explained in the study Recently publishedthe adult Neanderthal wet his finger in red pigment and pressed with him the stone just where the nose of that possible face would be, thus leaving the oldest human fingerprint ever recorded. The discovery, made in 2022 in San Lázaroit has been verified through an interdisciplinary team of archaeologists, geologists and forensics, which have concluded that the reddish point contains iron oxides and clay minerals not present in the cave, indicating that the pigment He took intentionally From another place. Art. Unlike a tool or utilitarian utensil, the stone did not present signs of practical use: its value was symbolic, aesthetic, or perhaps spiritual. The red pigment point, without which the object would not have archaeological value, marks the decisive step between the merely physical and the cultural: between the stone and the idea. The stone found The meaning behind the gesture. The authors of the study, published in the magazine Archaeological and Anthropological Sciencesthey argue that the finding reinforces the hypothesis that the Neanderthals had a symbolic mind similar to that of Homo sapiens. For them, the act of selecting a stone for its shape, transporting it, applying a precision pigment and probably attributing a meaning is proof of the existence of at least Three cognitive processes Complexes: the mental conception of an image, the will to communicate something through symbols, and the ability to attribute meaning. This triad, they affirm, is the art base. In that sense, the simple pebble with a red point can represent one of the oldest human face abstractions of the European prehistoric record. The uniqueness of the object makes it a difficult piece to contextualize: there is, for now, another equal. That said, remember that your artistic dimension cannot be ruled out. On the contrary: its rarity reinforces its character as an isolated, but revealing example, of the ability of the Neanderthals to Project thoughts and ideas about the material world. Breaking prejudices. There is more, of course. The finding highlights not only the original act of that Neanderthal, but also the persistent modern resistance to consider these hominids as authentic art creators. As explained Archaeologist David Álvarez Alonsoif it were a human intervention dated just 5,000 years ago, no one would hesitate to classify the object as art portable. But the fact that a Neanderthal has produced a debate that is not strictly scientific, but also cultural: our resistance to accepting that others Humans, extinct about 40,000 years ago, shared with us not only tools, fire and hunting strategies, but Also imaginationsymbolism and the need to represent. Under that prism, the stone of San Lázaro breaks that taboo with a single footprint. It is not a mural, nor a petroglyph, not even a figurine: it is a unique gesture on an ordinary support, one that, they assure, demands a deep rereading of what we consider “art” and who can produce it. A window The researchers tell In his work that the trace of pigment, interpreted as a deliberate act, forces us to ask ourselves for the Mental process that led to that moment. The first: What did that Neanderthal see in the stone: a face, a spirit or a sacred object? We will never know, but what the intervention suggests is a will to assign meaningto highlight, to leave a brand (mark). As the team points out, the total absence of pigments in the surroundings of the cave suggests A firm intention: The stone was collected, transported and altered with purpose. If we also want, in its apparent simplicity, the finding contains a complexity that forces us to reconsider the conception of the human being. If the Neanderthals could look at a stone and see a face in it, and then intervene it so that others would also see it, then they shared with us something essential: The ability to transcend the immediate and imagine the invisible … through a simple sign. Image | Mr. Álvarez-Alonso et al. In Xataka | We have been convinced for years that the fingerprints are unique. These researchers want to demonstrate that it is a myth In Xataka | The Neanderthals left a deep genetic footprint in us. The last example: the sense of pain

There is an influencer shining in all public baths in Spain so that others do not have to do it

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Ali Blackbet is a unique case within content creators. His accounts in social networks, especially those of Tiktok, have ended up finding a unique niche, a space reserved for the largest: the testing of public toilets, which executes with a very personal and hilarious style. Her sense of humor and the sophisticated of her edition and locutions make her a real rarity … and an essential event if you are interested in humor in bad taste. Seven months in toilets. Ali Blackbet started with his Tiktok account in 2021 (or at least, the historic takes us there), but had been on Instagram since 2012. Until last year, its contents focused on what was clearly interested: Disclosure on occultism and dark historytypical entrances of Diario everyday influencer and a multitude of Concert images Three bands where the bass sings and plays, Brothers Till We Die, Grim Death and Pirate Queen. Although on Instagram It still slips its most personal and aesthetic contentit is in Tiktok where it has taken the total turn towards the analysis of public services. 11 tricks to dominate Tik tok Germinate a calçot. Always titling their videos such as ‘Kingo in public places’ and starting with a crazy serial number (“day 2302 …”), Ali Blackbet frequents especially inaccessible or twisted public services: the Madrid City Council, the market of the market of The Nationalthe CITY OF ARTS AND SCIENCEShe Royal Palace, A plane… and does it with a very special grace, starting with the same denomination of the act (“bend the scaffold”, “orchestrate a zarzuela”, “release the chulapa”, “eating soft and pissing hard”) and following by the frantic edition, full of surprises, winks and even planes of a thousandth of second that seem taken from a dark metal video clip. Humor speaks. The most unique thing is that Ali Blackbet really analyzes the bathrooms, and ends up making the viewer at your disposal a humorous, but quite firm criterion, what to expect in each public service. All this thanks to the variety and conciseness of the valuation parameters: cleaning, lighting, water temperature, thickness of the toilet paper, toilet shape, operation of the tank, location, access … Result: 187,000 followers in Tiktok and videos that walk between 200 and 600,000 visualizations. New moods. Ali Blackbet belongs to a new generation of creators, which collecting the witness of a previous generation of humorists whose work has diversified in other media, such as Victoria Martín, Gakian, Esty Quesada either Lalachushave radicalized the previous proposals. With even less complex and throwing themselves into a much more crazy humor and are not afraid of being shocking or offensive, there is a whole generation of creators who often have nothing to do with each other but that are germinating very interesting profiles. Cases such as Magdalenita and his resounding retransmission of the Mérida festivities, the trchants Unboxings of toys of Beh Joestar or the lip-syncs skidded Teresa Aranguiz. Or this Ali Blackbet that, without being exclusively a humor account, has already put on the table the expression “train your dragon.” There are days to those who cannot ask for more. Header | Ali Blackbet In Xataka | The Bible was always the most sacred book. The young Christians are filling it with post-ps, underlined and cuquis covers

Spain wants to reduce marine pollution and will start in an unsuspected place: the bathroom

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Spain adds this year 642 beaches with blue flag, four more than last year, According to the Association of Environmental and Consumer Education (Adeac). This badge, which recognizes the environmental quality, security and services of the coast, returns to place the country among world leaders. Even so, the figure represents only 18 % of the more than 3,500 beaches in the country, which shows a pending challenge. To face it, Spain has begun to move. A new plan is brewing. Rather, a new bill with The goal of reducing pollution For single -use plastics, where wet wipe manufacturers will be forced to assume cleaning costs derived from the improper use of these products. In addition, the initiative wants to prohibit citizens from discarding wipes by the toilet and release balloons in the air. With this measure, Spain seeks to align with European standards on single -use plastics and move towards the UN sustainable development objectives. A serious problem. Wet wipes, even those made of natural polymers without chemical modifications, generate an important environmental impact. Its resistance to decomposition causes obstructions in sewerage and purification systems, especially during periods of heavy rains, such as has detailed The Guardian. The microfibers that release reach rivers and seas, aggravating pollution and raising management costs for local authorities. Responsibility. The new law will force companies to take care not only for the cleaning of the waste they generate, but also of information campaigns. To control who should pay, manufacturers will have to officially register. Although biodegradable wipes would be exempt, the Ministry of Environment He has insisted In that it is best not to throw any for the wiper, to protect pipes and the environment. A very economical topic. A awareness campaign of the Spanish Water and Sanitation Supply Association I already estimated Six years ago, the withdrawal of these wipes was an annual cost of 230 million euros. Until now, economic consequences have fallen to public administrations. According to eldiario.esValencia had to invest 10 million euros in 2019 to clean a three -kilometer jam. In Badajoz, a similar athlete was a cost of 200,000 euros. Murcia encrypted in more than 250,000 euros the replacement of a damaged team at a treatment plant, while the repair of pumping equipment amounted to another 200,000 euros. Other countries already have the lead. Four years ago, both France, Germany, Belgium and England They prohibited use of single -use plastic products, following the EU guidelines. In addition, on the one hand, France a year later prohibited the use of plastic To package small fruits and vegetables. On the other hand, Germany and Belgium They have been developing A fund funded by single -use plastics manufacturers, who must contribute according to the amount of plastic they sell. This fund aims to cover the cleaning costs of public spaces and waste management, reinforcing the principle of “who pollutes, pays”. It does not start on the shore. While the bill continues its parliamentary processing, its effectiveness will depend much on the citizen response. Because the care of the beaches does not begin only on the coast, but in the daily habits of those who enjoy them. Image | Pexels and Marco Verch Xataka | If the question is whether there is an “invasion” of moths in Murcia, the answer is that of every year by these dates

Vapers have lived a decade of freedom in Spain. The honeymoon ends

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Spain is about to set the ten years of ambiguity. The vopemers, which were sold in the early last decade as the “intelligent” version of tobacco, will be treated exactly the same as the lifelong marlboro. Why is it important. The New anti -tabaco law that prepares health normatively equate electronic cigarettes, Heated tobacco and vapers to conventional tobacco. The regulatory limbo is over. That liminal space is over in which it seemed acceptable to vap but not smoking. Health wants to prohibit the use of cigarettes, and also of vapes, in terraces, marques, labor vehicles, university campuses and external leisure areas. The same restrictions that conventional tobacco already had. The context. During a decade, vopes users have enjoyed a kind of undeclared privilege. Technically they did not smoke, but “vapeed.” It was steam, not smoke. A semantic difference that translated into real freedoms: vaping in places where smoking was prohibited, avoiding – not always – the social reproach looks, maintaining the perfect alibi being “leaving tobacco.” The final blow. The prohibition of flavorings marks the end of that golden age. Not only lose spaces: they lose their identity. The flavors were what most differentiated the vaping of traditional tobacco. Without mint, fruits or sweets, vapes are reduced to simple nicotine dispensers with USB-C load. Yes, but. The resistance is real. CNMC (National Commission of Markets and Competition) has challenged the prohibition of flavoringssomething unthinkable already with traditional tobacco. The classic tobacco companies have stopped fighting for years: they know they lost that war. Vapes still have faith in which they can win. Between the lines. This comparison says something deeper about how Spain manages this type of innovations. The vapes followed the classic pattern: Technological grace period. Social normalization Regulatory awakening. Total comparison. It is the same route they made (saving the health distances) VTC with the taxitourist apartments with hotels or cryptocurrencies with traditional currencies. The threat. For Vaper industry, this is more than a regulation: it is a declaration of war against its business model. Without flavoring and no differentiated spaces, what competitive advantage is left to the traditional tobacco? Technology, perhaps. But that seems insufficient to maintain the growth of an industry that grew precisely because it was not “real tobacco.” Deepen. The draft must still go through the Council of Ministers and subsequently through Congress, where you will need agreements with other political forces. Restrictions can change, but direction is irreversible: vapes have lost their special status. Outstanding image | Stephen Noble in Unspash In Xataka | The ‘vaping’ reaches adolescents and lights alarms

divide Spain into three price areas for light

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It has been a month since a mass blackout left millions without electricity on the peninsula. What caused it It is not yet clear. What has emerged again is an uncomfortable question for the electrical system: should you continue working with a single price zone? The current model. The blackout made it clear that the current model of a single price zone does not always conform to how electricity is generated, transported and consumed. Following this, proposals have sounded again They ask to review the price fixing system. Among them, a strength gains: divide the territory into several areas with differentiated prices, as already do other European countries. The Nord Pool case. One of the most cited examples, the electrical market of the Nordic and Baltic countries. This system divide its territory In offer areas (Bidding Zones), which may have different prices based on local generation availability, demand and capacity limitations in the transport network. In other words, if there is abundant renewable generation in an area (for example, in northern Norway) and very remote demand (for example, in southern Sweden), but the transport network between the two is congested, the price of electricity will be lower in the generating and higher area in the consumer. This difference pushes batteries where it is already consumed to improve the network where it collapses. According to Nord Pool’s own official siteprices are calculated every day depending on the balance of supply and demand in each area, taking into account the physical restrictions of the system. The result is a more realistic market, where prices are not artificially uniform and bottlenecks are directly reflected in the price. And is it possible in Spain? The proposal to divide in several areas has not been officially raised by the Government or by Red Electric (REE). Even so, the imbalance is evident: Much of the renewable generation is concentrated in rural areas of the southern and interior (such as Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha or Aragon), while consumption triggers mostly on the Mediterranean axis and in Madrid. This asymmetry generates bottlenecks, cost overruns and, as has been seen in the blackout, critical vulnerabilities. In fact, Spain could be pressed to change its model if these structural limitations persist. Besides, Ree report data On the electrical system they show that only in 2024, the cost of adjustment services – which include redisarking and other measures to balance the network – amounted to 2,668 million euros. These costs represented 15 % of the final average price of energy, with an impact of € 11.43/MWh. That is, they are invisible cost overruns for the consumer, but that could be reduced if the system offered more realistic and differentiated price signals. Future scenarios. The recent electrical crisis has only underlined a reality that many experts have not been warning: the Spanish electrical system, as designed, is not able to absorb renewable growth No structural adjustments. The question about whether we must move from a single price zone to a zonal model is not only technical, but deeply political and territorial. Faced with a model that artificially uniforms prices and hides network imbalances, a well -designed zoning could become a useful tool to direct investments, reduce system costs and increase their resilience. But it also raises a complex political challenge: how to explain to a community that its electricity will be more expensive than that of another region? How to guarantee that the transition is fair and that does not increase territorial inequalities? Image | Pexels Xataka | The more you know about the blackout in Spain, the less guilty the lack of inertia seems to be renewable

The data suggests that Germany works less hours than Spain. The reality of your labor market tells another story

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The reduction of working hours and how to face it is an issue on the debate table in a good part of the world. In Spain, the reduction of working hours is in Parliamentary Processing Phase and it is expected that at the end of the year a working day of 37.5 hours per week will be carried out. Countries like Germany, United Kingdom or Portugal have performed pilot tests of the four -day work week to evaluate The effect of that reduction. However, why is the reduction of working on if, according to 2023 data of Eurostat, in Spain the Real workday Average is already 36.4 hours a week, while in Germany is 34 hours a week? The key after that figure is in the quality of the employment of each country and reveals that, even if it may seem, a worker in Germany does not work less hours than in Spain. The middle days. In response to Eurostat data, indeed, the days in Germany seem to be shorter than in Spain, with 36.4 hours a week in front of the 34 hours of Germany. However, if we segment that data by type of day, the expected thing would be for working hours to maintain the same proportion. Nothing is further from reality. By differentiating the Eurostat data Between full time and part -time day we find that the average number of usual weekly hours in the main employment in full -time is 40.2 hours a week in both Spain and Germany. Something similar happens when differentiating the part -time Where Spain leaves an average of 20.3 hours a week, while on average part -time workers in Germany do 21.8 hours. So, if the days of Spain and Germany are not so different, why is there such a remarkable difference in the average? The key is in the quality of the labor market. Precariousness. According to him Press report Prepared by an expert council appointed by the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy in 2022, 42% of workers in Spain suffer some kind of precariousness (Submployment, temporary contracts, low wages, etc.). Despite that, after the 2022 labor reform, it changed The contract model expanding the use of the contract full -time indefinite. According to the 2023 INE data13.3% of the workforce in Spain worked part -time. That is, the data indicate That in that year, 15,454,000 employees worked full -time, while 2,580,900 did it part -time in Spain. Instead, the German labor market is much more fragmented in that aspect. In 2023, 31% of this country’s workers worked part -time, According to data of the Federal Statistics Office. This difference in full -time employment and part -time contracts makes a big difference in the calculation of the final average of weekly hours worked, since both variables are taken into account. Active retirement. To this is added the enormous success in Germany of the model of “Minijobs“, in which workers complement studies or retirement with part -time jobs for a few hours a week. official dataaround 13% of retirees between 65 and 74 years in Germany, they continue working, either out of economic necessity or by personal choice. On the other hand, in Spain that percentage drops to 4.08% of the retirees who choose to continue working with some or none modification in your workday. Average working life in Europe. Source: Eurostat That makes, according to Eurostat dataGermany’s working life is 39.6 years, while in Spain it is 36.3 years on average. That is, a good part of German workers work less hours a week in part -time jobs, but they do it for more years than Spanish workers. In Xataka | Some researchers have analyzed the working day in Spain: the same thing that 40 years ago is worked, but in worse jobs Image | Eurostat

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