Key data
| Regulation | Resolution of 6 July 2026, from the General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines — acceptance of withdrawal of the Pasama wind farm |
|---|---|
| Publication | 6 August 2026 |
| Entry into force | 6 August 2026 |
| Developer | Nicewinds Partners, SL |
| Cancelled project | Pasama wind farm — 50.10 MW |
| Location | Magaña, Trévago and Valdelagua del Cerro (Soria) |
| Reason for cancellation | Automatic expiry of access and connection permits to the transmission grid (REE) due to non-compliance with the second milestone of RDL 23/2020 |
| Favourable EIA date | December 2025 (outside the deadline required by RDL 23/2020) |
| REE expiry notification | January 2026 |
| Category | Energy |
| Official source | BOE-A-2026-17170 |
A 50.10 MW project ready for construction in Soria is cancelled, not due to technical or economic problems, but due to a mismatch of deadlines between environmental assessment and the regulatory milestones of the Royal Decree-Law 23/2020. The General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines formally accepts the withdrawal of Nicewinds Partners, SL through a resolution published on 6 August 2026 (BOE-A-2026-17170).
The mechanism that destroyed the project is simple but relentless: RDL 23/2020 establishes administrative milestones with maximum deadlines for developers to demonstrate progress in processing. If these are not met, the access and connection permits to the transmission grid granted by Red Eléctrica de España (REE) expire automatically. Without these permits, no administrative authorisation is possible. Without authorisation, there is no project.
What does this resolution establish?
The resolution from the General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines accepts the withdrawal filed by Nicewinds Partners, SL of its application for prior administrative authorisation for the Pasama wind farm and its evacuation infrastructure in the Soria municipalities of Magaña, Trévago and Valdelagua del Cerro.
The chain of events that led to the withdrawal is as follows:
- RDL 23/2020 establishes administrative milestones with maximum deadlines for renewable energy projects that have access and connection permits to the transmission grid.
- One of these milestones — the second — requires the developer to demonstrate obtaining a favourable environmental impact assessment (EIA) within a specified deadline.
- The favourable EIA for the Pasama wind farm was issued in December 2025, outside the deadline required by that second milestone.
- Non-compliance with the milestone triggered the automatic expiry of the access and connection permits to the transmission grid that REE had granted to the project.
- REE formally notified this expiry in January 2026.
- Without valid grid permits, the project cannot obtain prior administrative authorisation, making its continuation unfeasible.
- Nicewinds Partners, SL files the withdrawal, which the General Directorate formally accepts.
This case is not a one-off error: it illustrates a structural tension between two administrative procedures that run in parallel but with different timelines. Environmental assessment depends on the pace of environmental administration; the milestones of RDL 23/2020 do not stop while that assessment is delayed.
Economic and operational impact
The cancellation of a 50.10 MW wind farm means the loss of all accumulated investment in the development phase: feasibility studies, surveys, preliminary engineering, administrative fees, legal costs and time spent on processing. In projects of this scale, these figures can reach several million euros before installing the first wind turbine.
Beyond the specific case of Nicewinds Partners, SL, the operational impact for the sector is twofold:
- Portfolio risk: Any developer with projects in process under the RDL 23/2020 regime must actively monitor the status of its milestones and the deadlines of environmental assessment. A delay in the EIA that is not anticipated can trigger automatic expiry of grid permits, with no possibility of remediation afterwards.
- Loss of position in the access queue: Access and connection permits to the transmission grid are scarce and highly disputed. Losing them through expiry means returning to the beginning of the application process, in a context where transmission grid nodes have limited capacity.
Who does it affect?
- Wind farm developers with projects in process under RDL 23/2020 that have access and connection permits to the transmission grid.
- Renewable asset development companies (wind and photovoltaic) managing project portfolios in different administrative phases.
- Investment funds and family offices with stakes in renewable developer companies in Spain.
- Legal advisers and consultants specialising in renewable energy project processing.
- CFOs and business development directors of utilities and energy companies with wind project pipelines in Spain.
- Financial entities analysing the regulatory risk of renewable projects in development phase for financing.
Practical example
The Pasama case itself is the clearest example. Nicewinds Partners, SL obtains a favourable EIA for its 50.10 MW wind farm in Soria in December 2025. The news should be positive: environmental administration gives the green light to the project. However, that EIA arrives outside the deadline that RDL 23/2020 set for the second administrative milestone.
The result: REE notifies in January 2026 that the access and connection permits to the transmission grid have expired automatically. The favourable EIA, which in any other context would be a valuable asset, arrives too late to save the grid permits. Without those permits, the General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines cannot process the prior administrative authorisation. The project, with all its accumulated investment, has no way forward.
The operational lesson is direct: in projects under RDL 23/2020, the developer cannot simply wait for the environmental resolution. It must actively monitor the deadline of the corresponding milestone and, if it anticipates a delay in the EIA, explore in advance whether there is any extension mechanism or whether the situation can be communicated to REE before automatic expiry occurs.
What should companies do now?
- Audit the status of milestones for all projects in the portfolio: Identify which projects have access and connection permits to the transmission grid under the RDL 23/2020 regime and which milestone they are at. Prioritise those closest to the expiry of the second milestone deadline.
- Cross-reference the environmental assessment calendar with RDL 23/2020 deadlines: For each project, estimate when the EIA is expected and compare it with the maximum deadline of the corresponding milestone. If there is risk of mismatch, act in advance.
- Consult with the legal team on the existence of extension mechanisms or preventive communication to REE: Before automatic expiry occurs, explore whether current regulations allow any action to preserve grid permits.
- Establish administrative monitoring alerts: Implement a deadline monitoring system that alerts with sufficient notice (minimum 3-6 months) of the expiry of each milestone, without relying exclusively on notifications from REE or environmental administration.
- Review the regulatory risk analysis of projects in due diligence: If evaluating the acquisition of projects in development, explicitly include the status of RDL 23/2020 milestones and the risk of grid permit expiry as a critical valuation variable.
Frequently asked questions
Why was the Pasama wind farm cancelled if it had a favourable environmental impact assessment?
Because the favourable EIA was issued in December 2025, outside the deadline that RDL 23/2020 requires to meet the second administrative milestone. This non-compliance triggered the automatic expiry of the access and connection permits to the transmission grid that REE had granted to the project. Without those valid permits, it is not possible to obtain prior administrative authorisation, making the project's continuation unfeasible.
What are the milestones of RDL 23/2020 and what happens if they are not met?
Royal Decree-Law 23/2020 established a system of administrative milestones with maximum deadlines that must be met by developers of renewable projects that have access and connection permits to the transmission grid. If a developer fails to demonstrate compliance with a milestone within the set deadline — for example, obtaining the EIA for the second milestone — the access and connection permits expire automatically, with no possibility of remediation afterwards.
Which developers and projects are at risk from RDL 23/2020 deadlines?
Any developer of wind or photovoltaic farms in Spain that has access and connection permits to the transmission grid under the RDL 23/2020 regime and has projects in process with environmental assessment still pending resolution. The risk is especially high when the environmental assessment procedure is delayed and the corresponding milestone deadline approaches without the EIA having been issued.
What happens to grid access permits when they expire due to non-compliance with milestones?
According to the Pasama case, REE formally notifies the expiry — in this case in January 2026 — and the permits become void. The developer loses its position in the transmission grid access queue and, if it wants to resume the project, must restart the process of requesting access and connection permits, in a context of limited capacity at grid nodes.
Where is the resolution for cancellation of the Pasama wind farm published?
The resolution of 6 July 2026 from the General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines accepting the withdrawal of Nicewinds Partners, SL is published in the BOE with reference BOE-A-2026-17170, with publication date of 6 August 2026.
Official source
Consult full regulation at official source
Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-17170