BARCELONA, April 1 (Xinhua) -- The energy crisis caused by the ongoing Gulf conflict could speed up Europe's transition to using renewable energies, a Spanish energy expert told Xinhua in a recent interview.
Europe's energy dependence abroad "is harmful for the European socio-economy in general," Jordi Sole, professor and senior researcher at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), warned on Tuesday.
While the professor noted that "here in Spain there's a large percentage of renewables compared to other European states," he also underlined that "we have some problems that have not been solved, such as the management of the electric grid, as seen by the power outage we had last year."
Spain celebrated a historic milestone in 2024, when renewable energy accounted for 56.8 percent of the country's total electricity mix. However, an unprecedented nationwide power outage in April 2025 drew attention to some shortcomings of the existing electrical system.
"It's not just about production, not just adding more renewables, it's also about adapting distribution at the network level and managing demand and consumption, adapting to these new sources of energy that are increasingly important and which will have a bigger role in the future, making it necessary to invest in the power grid," said Sole.
The professor pointed to China as an example of a country committed to renewable energy development that he would like to see in Spain and Europe, especially given the current situation in the Gulf and the potential impact of the conflict on energy markets.
"The leadership in renewables shown by China may now, due to this energy crisis we are at risk of suffering, influence and incentivize other economies to really make an effort," he told Xinhua.
China's "two sessions," the annual meetings of the country's top legislature and political advisory body, highlighted plans to build a new energy system under the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), with a focus on expanding wind, solar, hydro and nuclear power as part of a broader green transition.
"Not only will China rethink its energy situation but so will many other states in the world, and the need for so-called energy independence will increase. Renewables can provide this energy independence because they are your resources, which you exploit and control," added Sole.
According to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, the United States is currently the world's largest consumer of oil, followed by China and India.
The conflict in the Gulf and the resulting energy crisis will no doubt lead to a change in the existing geopolitical status quo through the diversification of energy markets and the search for secure and dependable energy sources, Sole said. ■
