EDP Energía Solidaria supports 620,000 people through energy transition projects: “They’ve given me my life back”
EDP Energía Solidaria has helped 620,000 people overcome social vulnerability through 200 energy transition projects over its ten-year journey in Spain. These include technology training for rural populations, inclusive mobility initiatives for people with autism, and home renovation projects for vulnerable households to improve energy efficiency.
This Thursday, the program celebrated its decade of social initiatives at the event “EDP Energía Solidaria 2025: Ten Years of Social Commitment,” organized by the EDP Foundation and Europa Press at the Reina Sofía School of Music in Madrid.
"This program has given me my life back," said Graciela Veledero Abad, who takes part in AFIM 21 activities with elderly people affected by neurodegenerative diseases.
Among other initiatives, she visits schools to educate young people about energy efficiency. In this context, she emphasized that “there’s no age to learn, to teach, to bring a smile to someone’s face.”
Throughout the event, several initiatives supported by EDP were showcased, along with testimonies from people whose lives have been impacted. Jorge Martínez, head of Factoría F5 Madrid, spoke about Adrián, one of the students from the organization’s free online school for 100% rural groups.
At the time of his training, this young man was in a situation of extreme vulnerability, and today he is the owner of a small consulting firm. “He never left the same village where he studied with F5. Back then, he barely had Internet access. Now, he’s an entrepreneur — his market isn’t Asturias, it isn’t Spain, it’s the world,” Martínez said.
Rocío González, head of the MovilizaTEA project at the Autism Federation of Castilla y León, shared how a bus driver in Valladolid expressed his gratitude for the awareness-raising sessions carried out by the organization as part of its inclusive mobility program for people with autism.
Thanks to this training, he was able to calm a child with autism who didn’t want to get off the bus. “With the right tools and skills, he managed the situation and comforted the child,” González explained.
“You’ve brought dignity back to my home”
Belén Sánchez Martínez, co-founder and coordinator of the energy advisory area at Soccaire, presented the initiative “Homes Worth Living In,” through which they have audited 300 homes of vulnerable people.
Among them was Gregorio, a widower from Valencia with two children, one of them with a severe disability. With a budget of just €3,000, they replaced the house’s windows, refrigerator, and electrical system, to which Gregorio responded by saying they had brought dignity back to his home.
Raquel Martín Ramos, Program Manager at the Tomillo Foundation, shared the story of a 21-year-old undocumented migrant who completed green jobs training specializing in solar rooftop installation. A year and a half after completing the course and internship, he now has a job, a support network, and financial stability that allows him to plan for the future.
Meanwhile, Mar Carrascal Moraga, participant in Down Madrid’s projects, emphasized the importance of everyone having a job. Mar works in a sustainable events space alongside people with intellectual disabilities.
Working together and sharing a common purpose
Isabel López Triana, co-founder and CEO of Canvas Estrategias Sostenibles, stressed that companies must practice active listening when non-profit organizations approach them with a project. “How can we work together? This idea of collaborating in networks and having a shared purpose can make the power of transformation and impact even greater,” she said.
Meanwhile, Vanda Martins, General Director of the EDP Foundation, underlined that for the energy transition to be inclusive and fair, it must involve the active participation and expertise of the non-profit sector.
"We leave with many ideas, some certainties, and surely more questions — but also something very valuable: the conviction that if we collaborate, if we listen, and if we keep working toward a just development model, our social impact can go much further," Martins concluded.
“The transition won’t be fair unless it’s inclusive”
The event featured Candelas Martín de Cabiedes, General Director of Europa Press, who highlighted the program’s figures: 620,000 beneficiaries and 200 projects over ten years in Spain.
Finally, Manuel Menéndez, President of the EDP Foundation, emphasized that this program embodies their vision that “the energy transition won’t be fair unless it’s also inclusive.” He added that for progress to be truly meaningful, it must be built on solutions that place people at the center.
