Iberdrola España and the ‘Vente a Vivir a un Pueblo’ (Come and Live in a Village) platform recognise four towns in Castilla-La Mancha for their promotion of rural development
- Peñas de San Pedro, Casas de Lázaro, Alcadozo and Peñascosa have been recognised by the ‘Come and Live in a Village’ platform and Iberdrola España at a ceremony attended by the town mayors and numerous residents
- They were recognised for their efforts to revitalise rural areas and the use of renewable energies as a driver of local economies
The municipality of Peñas de San Pedro in Albacete today hosted the presentation of the ‘Villages with a Future’ awards, given by the platform to fight rural flight ‘Come and Live in a Village’ and Iberdrola España, in recognition of their efforts to revitalise rural areas and the use of renewable energies as a driver of local economies. The winners were the mayor of Peñas de San Pedro, Antonio Serrano, and the mayor of Casas de Lázaro, María Eugenia Cuartero, together with the councillors of Alcadozo and Peñascosa, Ángel Alfaro and Pedro Rodríguez, respectively.
The councillors agreed on the importance of the efforts being made in inland areas such as these in the regions of Sierra de Alcaraz, Campo de Montiel and Sierra del Segura to attract new residents, highlighting the importance of natural resources as an economic driver and a means of retaining populations. These new 'green' investments, which respect the environment, are driving towns such as these.
Amelia Rodríguez, head of Iberdrola España in Castilla-La Mancha, stressed that ‘Iberdrola España promotes renewable energies as a driver of rural development, which allows us to boost growth and create jobs with electrification projects’. ‘This recognition values the efforts of municipalities to revitalise rural areas and advance sustainable development as a driver of opportunities in Castilla-La Mancha’.
The event was held in the Plaza Mayor in Peñas de San Pedro and featured a round table discussion on innovative experiences and stories that bring the rural world to life, with the participation of: the owner of the Restaurante Segoviano in Alcadozo, a culinary model in the province; a professional who left Valencia to settle in Peñascosa and work remotely from the countryside; an entrepreneur who opened a supermarket in Peñas de San Pedro, creating nine direct jobs; and the owner of Artesanía Textil de Casas de Lázaro, specialists in traditional Manchego costumes recognised regionally and in the process of being declared an Asset of Cultural Interest by the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha.
The ‘Villages with a Future’ award involves the production of a video profile for each of the winning municipalities for 'Come and Live in a Village’, the most modern and comprehensive platform for encouraging city dwellers to move in rural areas. Along with the video profile, the residents of these villages can use other tools such as job, housing and transfer exchanges, free online training in new technologies and a marketplace to give visibility to local services and products.
Castilla-La Mancha and its investment in electrification
Castilla-La Mancha has established itself as one of the autonomous communities with the greatest weight in Iberdrola España's renewable development, which already has more than 2,600 megawatts (MW) of power in the region through 85 facilities. The company has 1,738 MW of wind, 528 MW of solar and 311 MW of hydroelectric power, spread across all provinces: Cuenca (975 MW), Albacete (823 MW), Guadalajara (470 MW), Toledo (288 MW) and Ciudad Real (105 MW).
Albacete plays a particularly important role, where Iberdrola España is promoting one of its largest concentrations of wind farms in Spain, with landmark facilities such as Isabela and Molar del Molinar currently undergoing modernisation and repowering. These efforts make it possible to replace old turbines with state-of-the-art equipment, multiplying efficiency and reducing environmental impact, while creating more local jobs and increasing territorial cohesion. In this way, Iberdrola reaffirms its commitment to the energy transition and to the sustainable future of Castilla-La Mancha.
A sustainable energy model
Iberdrola España is committed to promoting electrification through clean, local and competitive energy. Integrating facilities into the environment is one of our guiding principles, in line with the company's historical links with the rural world.
The company has launched the Convive Programme, which includes a multitude of measures to ensure that renewable facilities are fully compatible with biodiversity, agriculture, livestock farming and even beekeeping. Some photovoltaic facilities, for instance, have become true biodiversity refuges, even giving endangered species a suitable habitat to live in.
With initiatives such as these, Iberdrola España promotes the visibility of villages that are committed to sustainability and innovation as a tool to combat depopulation. The company thus reaffirms its commitment to rural development, helping to create jobs, attract residents and drive local economies in harmony with nature.
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