In Energetic Colonialism (Icaria editorial), Alberto Matarán Ruiz and Josefa Sánchez Contreras use a nomenclature that, by itself, gives a lot to reflect on. The first is the very title of the book, “energy colonialism”, followed by “corporate transition”, “sacrificial territories” or “climate apartheid”. In the work, the authors give some examples of this energy colonialism, of which Spain is both the victim and the culprit.
How are the countries of the north energetically colonizing those of the south?
Alberto Matarán Ruiz. Energy colonialism is historical: most of the energy resources consumed in the countries of the global north come from the global south. With the energy transition, there is continuity and even a deepening of this colonialism, both because of the minerals that are extracted and because of the occupation of large territories in places on the periphery or in the south for the production of renewable energy. An energy that will be consumed in remote areas, without this implying a net benefit for the population of those territories.
Josefa Sanchez Contreras. The colonialism of the 21st century is based on the need to change the energy model to mitigate the climate crisis and the depletion of fossil fuels. But there is a paradox that the deployment of renewable energy megaprojects has a deep dependence on fossil fuels and mining extraction. In other words, it is highly dependent on the same regime that has led us to the climate and energy catastrophe.
Does colonialism also occur within the borders of countries?
J.S.C. Cases of colonialism are taking place in historical territories such as in the global south, but we are also seeing the deployment of colonialism within the same metropolises, such as in the south of Spain or in the territory of the Sami in Norway. Colonialism is reaching territories that a priori were exempt and it is doing so with the same dynamics of dispossession and land grabbing, centralization of energy...
In the Sahara you even talk about climate apartheid.
A.M.R. Climate apartheid is the deeply racist and segregated application of actions to prevent and mitigate climate change. It is called climate apartheid because the colonial violence and dispossession of the colonized population is very evident. The energy has absolutely nothing to do with the local population. In the Saharawi case, the local population is not even hired in the few jobs generated by renewable energy.
Why do you say that Spain is also a expendable territory?
A.M.R. Spain is getting closer to being a expendable territory. The energy design of the Spanish State and that of the European Union itself define the dedication of our territories to the production of renewable electricity, through megaprojects and in a centralized manner, to be consumed in the large consumption centers of central and northern Europe. Without suggesting that what must be done is to reduce energy consumption and that the transport of energy does not make any sense. The efficiency of a solar panel in Granada compared to a solar panel in Poland or Germany is 30% and the energy losses of transporting energy from Granada to Germany can exceed 30%, as recognized by the EU itself.
Is the key to the energy transition to reduce consumption?
A.M.R. Josefa pointed out the need for materials and fossil fuels to develop the renewable generation infrastructure, as it is currently being designed. This is already a clear limitation. In addition, there is the thermodynamic limitation, which is that, as most of the scientific literature affirms, in the best of cases, we will only be able to produce 30% of the energy that we currently consume from fossil fuels. The decrease in consumption is not that it has to happen, it is going to happen anyway because there are no energy sources available to replace fossil fuels and we have to replace fossil fuels because they are devastating the planet via climate change, and because, furthermore, they are running out.
