Presentation short abstract

Spain’s fossil-fuel oligopoly influences politics, regulation and academia through lobbying, revolving doors and funding, consolidating corporate power, slowing the energy transition, weakening democratic transparency and reinforcing its dominance over the state.

Presentation long abstract

The so-called fossil empire—the group of large energy companies that dominate the Spanish energy system (Endesa, Iberdrola, Naturgy, Repsol, and Moeve)—has consolidated structural power that transcends the economic sphere, decisively influencing politics, regulation, academia, and public opinion. Despite the scarcity of fossil resources in Spain, a network of infrastructure and corporations linked to international interests, sovereign wealth funds, and large investors has developed, which today controls most of the energy chain.

The fossil fuel lobby operates through various mechanisms, two of which are presented in this study: political advocacy and academic advocacy. In the political arena, it uses strategies such as revolving doors, indirect financing, legislative lobbying, and explicit pressure on parties and governments. A prime example is the repeal of Royal Decree-Law 10/2024, which sought to tax extraordinary profits from energy companies and was overturned after intense corporate pressure and the alignment of parties with prior links to the sector.

In academia, companies finance professorships, research, master's degrees, and educational programs, shaping the production of knowledge and legitimizing their narratives under the guise of scientific rigor. This phenomenon, described as academic washing, weakens university independence and consolidates a technocratic vision aligned with corporate interests.

The lack of effective regulation of lobbying in Spain allows much of these activities to take place with a lack of transparency, generating social mistrust. It is essential to strengthen citizen action, institutional transparency, and academic independence in order to move towards a just and democratic energy transition.