Iberdrola España recognises five villages in Palencia for promoting rural development
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Velilla, Guardo, Villalba de Guardo, Acera de la Vega and Mantinos have been awarded by the platform 'Vente a Vivir a un Pueblo' ('Come live in a village'), together with the company, in a ceremony attended by the mayors, the president of the Provincial Council, the subdelegate of the Government in the province and the delegate of Iberdrola España in Castilla y León
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They are recognised for their efforts to revitalise rural areas and the use of renewable energies to boost local economies
This morning, the Palencia municipality of Villalba de Guardo hosted the presentation of the "Pueblos con Futuro" ("Towns with a Future") awards given by the platform to fight depopulation 'Vente a Vivir a un Pueblo' ('Come live in a village') and Iberdrola España − in recognition of their efforts to revitalise rural areas and the use of renewables as a way of boosting local economies. The award winners were the towns of Montaña Palentina Velilla del Río Carrión, Guardo, Villalba de Guardo, Acera de la Vega and Mantinos.
The event was attended by the President of the Provincial Council of Palencia, Angeles Armisén, the Sub-delegate of the Government in the province, Ángel Miguel, and the mayors of each of these municipalities who have shown the effort they are making to attract new population, highlighting the importance of the natural resources that these rural areas have for the economic growth of their villages.
Iberdrola España's Delegate in Castilla y León, Miguel Calvo, stressed that "Iberdrola España promotes renewable energies as an engine for rural development and in this way the villages emerge as a guarantee for the future with numerous initiatives based on 'green' principles that boost their activity and their population".
The awards were collected by the councillors of Velilla del Río Carrión, Gonzalo Pérez; Guardo, Juan Jesús Blanco; Villalba de Guardo, Javier Sánchez; Acera de la Vega, José Luis Tarilonte; and Mantinos, Miguel Rodriguez, who thanked the recognitions and agreed that renewables are essential to boost energy autonomy in our country and fight against climate change. These new green investments, with respect for the environment, are boosting towns such as these, due to the economic benefits they bring to rural areas.
Accompanying the energy transition with measures that promote the social and economic growth of territories linked to the traditional energy model is one of the great challenges facing society today. However, Iberdrola España has shown that a just transition is possible. In parallel to the decommissioning of the Velilla thermal power plant, the company has worked with a view to local development for this new stage.
To this end, the company launched an initiative to train unemployed people free of charge in the Montaña Palentina region, where it has historically been present. The programme, developed in collaboration with Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and Ingeus, has boosted the preparation of professionals for high-quality green jobs. It is expected to have an employability rate of 85%.
Irene Sanchidrián, Head of Projects for Iberdrola España Renovables in Castilla y León, explained that "the company is promoting the 400 MW Velilla and Virgen de Areños III photovoltaic plants in the area, which have employed over 850 workers during the construction of the facilities. This is an important driver of rural development in the region".
At the round table following the awards ceremony, led and presented by Ramón Pradera, the journalist and creator of the 'Vente a Vivir a un Pueblo' ('Come live in a village') platform, the opinions of four entrepreneurs with innovative and, in some cases, ground-breaking businesses were shared, all of which generate wealth in the area, acting as engine of the local economy. For instance, Raquel Relea, Director of the Eugenio Álvarez del Collado company's ash recovery project; Eduardo Ibáñez, director of the Ratoncito Pérez and Arco Iris theme parks; José Manuel Calderón, Director of the company specialising in recycling polymers Ecoguardo; and Jonatán Fernández, Director of six tourist flats in the district.
The "Pueblos con Futuro" award includes a video-portfolio of each of the winning municipalities for 'Vente a Vivir a un Pueblo' − the most modern and comprehensive platform to encourage city-dwellers to settle in rural environments. Along with the video-portfolio, the residents of these localities will be able to use other tools such as employment, housing and transfers, free online training in new technologies and a Marketplace to give visibility to local services and products.
El premio “Pueblos con Futuro” conlleva la realización de una vídeo-ficha de cada uno de los municipios galardonados para ‘Vente a Vivir a un Pueblo’, la plataforma más moderna y completa para animar a los urbanitas a instalarse en entornos rurales. Junto con la vídeo-ficha, los vecinos de estos pueblos podrán usar otras herramientas como las bolsas de empleo, vivienda y traspasos, formación on line gratuita en nuevas tecnologías y un Marketplace para dar visibilidad a los servicios y productos locales.
Green energy powering the future
The construction of the photovoltaic plants Velilla, in Villalba de Guardo; and Areños III, in Acera de la Vega, has revived the economy and employment in the Alto Carrión region − thanks to its extensive workforce of 850 workers, most of them from Palencia and the rest of the provinces of Castilla y León.
The arrival of these new residents has completely transformed these villages since they arrived in mid-spring, boosting the local economy thanks to the spending they have made, especially in the local hospitality businesses.