Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stated on Friday that if his Socialist Party (PSOE) wins the general election on July 23, he will implement legislation allowing citizens to choose the placement of solar parks and wind farms in their neighborhood and get a portion of the revenues.

Many proposed solar parks and wind farms in the country are being delayed due to concerns from residents, making it one of the election’s most contentious issues.

“We will pass a law that involves local residents in choosing the location of photovoltaic and wind farms, allowing them to participate directly in the co-ownership of up to 10% of the profits they generate,” Sanchez told a PSOE event in Madrid in which he outlined the party’s election manifesto.

The opposition People’s Party, which is leading opinion polls, said in its own manifesto unveiled on Tuesday that it would introduce a fee on renewable energy projects to pay for the administrative costs tied to them.

In September 2022, the mayors of 70 towns in the southern Andalusia region signed a letter urging the regional government to increase transparency and improve planning in renewable energy projects, saying the proliferation of solar panels and wind turbines was altering the rural landscape.

There have also been protests against large onshore and offshore wind parks this year in the northwestern region of Galicia, and environmental organisations have legally challenged renewable projects throughout Spain, arguing they put the local biodiversity at risk.