Abstract: It has been noted that in recent decades, society has become increasingly convinced of the anthropogenic ingredient in environmental problems on the planet. This awareness has guided public policies to protect the environment, such as those for the promotion of renewable energies. The objective of this study is to analyze the influence that a country’s public policies can have on the development of renewable energies technologies. For this purpose, Spain was selected, due to the important development of these technologies in the first decade of this century. The method is based on empirical documents from databases of national and international recognized institutions. The analysis strategy consisted of the selection of variables corresponding to the elements of the proposed model: (i) public renewable energies spending policies; (ii) development of renewable energies technologies; and (iii) participation of these sources in primary energy production. Significant positive correlations were found between these three elements, however the regression analysis shows that it is actually the expenditure on subsidies and R&D (Research and Development) that determines the development of that industry and its participation in primary energy generation in the country.

Key words: ublic policies; renewable energy; Spain