Maria Cadaval and Rosa Maria Regueiro receive the Valentin Paz Andrade Research Award in Economics of Galicia

Professor María Cadaval Sampedro, together with Professor Rosa María Regueiro Ferreira, has been awarded the Valentín Paz Andrade Research Award in Economics of Galicia for their academic work Renewable energy taxes and environmental impacts: A critical reflection from the wind tax in Spain, published in the journal Energy and Environment. The award, granted by the Galician Economic and Social Council and the Institute of Studies and Development of Galicia (IDEGA) at the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, recognizes research that contributes to a better understanding of Galicia’s economic and social reality and to the design of effective public policies.

The study analyzes the taxation of wind energy in Spain, comparing different regional approaches and examining the effectiveness of environmental taxation as a public policy instrument. Based on a comparative analysis of wind taxes in regions such as Galicia, Castilla-La Mancha, and Andalusia, the authors assess how fiscal frameworks have evolved and how they interact with environmental and economic considerations.

Among its main findings, the research highlights significant differences in the fiscal treatment of wind energy across regions and questions the coherence of current environmental taxation approaches. It also shows that older, less efficient wind farms tend to bear a higher tax burden, while newer and more powerful installations—despite their greater environmental, acoustic, and visual impact—may benefit from more favorable tax conditions or even exemptions.

The authors emphasize that environmental taxation remains a key tool for promoting sustainable energy systems, but stress the need to update regulatory frameworks to better align taxation with actual environmental impacts. This recognition underscores the relevance of their contribution to the debate on energy policy, environmental sustainability, and regional fiscal design in Spain.