Faced with the harmful environmental effects caused by generating electricity and the great increase in electricity consumption over the last decade, Ecologistas en Accion has developed an Electricity
Efficiency and Saving Plan. This plan identifies concrete measures to be implemented over a ten-year period that would reduce current electricity consumption by at least 35%.

Electricity production is one of the major causes of environmental damage, given that 48.3% comes from fossil sources, primarily coal, and 23.9% comes from nuclear power stations. Coal-fired power
stations produce a large percentage of greenhouse gases, which cause climate change and hold Spain back from meeting the Kyoto Protocol objectives. In addition to the dangers they pose, nuclear power
stations produce radioactive emissions and nuclear waste. Huge dams, on the other hand, mean that large valleys are submersed and destroyed.

However, electricity consumption has increased rapidly in recent years, partly due to economic growth, but also due to the low cost of electricity itself. In recent years, the government has raised
electricity prices at rates below the increases in the consumer price index, or even lowered energy prices outright as was the case for five consecutive years between 1997 and 2001.

In the plan developed by Ecologistas en Accion, concrete measures are presented that aim to reduce electricity consumption without affecting our quality or way of life. The proposed measures vary depending on whether electricity consumption is industrial, domestic or for the public and service sector.

A large number of the measures focus on increasing the price of electricity to at least that of neighbouring country Portugal. Measures are also included which are aimed at introducing more efficient industrial technology, promoting more efficient household appliances, encouraging the use of energy-saving lamps, eliminating stand-by pilot lights, withdrawing less efficient appliances from the market, introducing guidelines which encourage reduced electricity consumption when building houses, altering street lighting and reducing losses in transport and distribution networks, etc.

Adopting the proposed measures over the recommended ten-year period could reduce electricity consumption by at least 35%. This would undoubtedly be the most successful environmental measure adopted in Spain over the past few decades.

In order to implement the measures in the plan, Ecologistas en Accion proposes that the measures be financed through the increased revenue that electricity companies would generate as a result of the higher
electricity prices set out in the plan. The plan also proposes creating an Energy Saving Campaign (CAE), a public entity, which would be part of the Ministry for the Environment and the Ministry for
Industry and would be responsible for implementing the measures proposed in the plan.

This plan has been sent to the President of the Spanish Government, to the Ministry for the Environment and to the Ministry for Industry and calls for its measures to be implemented. It also requests these
measures be taken into consideration in the new Energy Efficiency and Saving Plan and in the new National Energy Plan currently being developed.