The delegate of Álava has authorized the urgent occupation of the Ribera Baja electricity line

The territorial representative for Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability of Álava has granted administrative authorization to the company I-DE Redes Eléctricas Inteligentes, S.A.U. to modify the 13.2 kV «Nanclares» overhead line in the municipality of Ribera Baja, and has expressly declared the installation as public domain. This declaration entails urgent occupation, in accordance with Article 52 of the Forced Expropriation Law of 1954, and recognizes the need for the properties and rights of the landowners affected by the project. The resolution was published in issue number 207 of the Official Gazette of the Basque Country on October 29, 2026, under official reference 2026/4561.

The declaration entails, according to Article 56 of Law 24/2013 of the Electricity Sector, the need for the occupation of the project’s properties or the acquisition of the affected rights, and enables the necessary occupation provided for in Article 52, under the protection of the Forced Expropriation Law of December 16, 1954. Likewise, the expropriation file has registry consequences, according to Article 53 of the aforementioned law.

The file number is 01ATY 202500052, and the company submitted the request on September 5, 2025: prior administrative authorization, construction permit, and the express declaration of public domain. The process was carried out according to the provisions of Decree 48/2020, of March 31, as well as the specifications contained in the resolution of March 8, 2011, of the Director of Energy and Mines, regarding electrical lines passing through forested areas.

Modification of the overhead line and project area

The authorized project is titled «Modification of the 13.2 kV medium voltage overhead line «Nanclares» between supports no. 181 and no. 227». The modification of the overhead line, at that voltage, concerns the section between supports 181 and 227, in the municipality of Ribera Baja, in the historical territory of Álava. The resolution combines two main decisions: on one hand, granting the prior administrative authorization and construction permit; on the other, declaring the installation as public domain.

The declaration of public domain is not a mere formality: it enables the recognition that the project is necessary for a purpose of public interest and, consequently, allows for the compulsory and urgent acquisition of the affected properties.

Public information carried out in three publications

Before completing the process of the specifications, the project underwent a period of public information, together with a detailed and itemized list of properties and rights. The announcements of the call were published in:

• Official Gazette of the Basque Country, March 3, 2026.
• Official Gazette of the Historical Territory of Álava, March 20, 2026.
• El Correo newspaper, March 6, 2026.
• The website of the Department of Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability, together with the project documents, so that citizens and interested parties could examine them.

Following that process, the resolution was issued, confirming that the regulatory procedures mandated by Law 24/2013 of the Electrical Sector, the forced expropriation law, its 1957 regulation, and Decree 48/2020 have been fulfilled in the file.

Consequences of urgent occupation for landowners

The designation of urgent occupation has a direct effect on the landowners within the project area: the administration does not need to wait for a prior expropriation agreement to take possession of the land, and both assets and rights will be acquired through compulsory purchase. Those affected are not only the landowners; individuals and companies with private-use land, service roads, and line easements may also be impacted.

Likewise, the regulations impose specific protective measures on the project. The resolution mentions Royal Decree 1432/2008, of August 29, regarding measures to prevent bird collisions and electrocution, and specifications regarding passage through forested areas also apply.

What happens now

After the resolution is issued and published, occupation and the start of works within the project area are enabled prematurely, and the company will have the opportunity to develop the requested infrastructure. The essential condition for proceeding was the administration’s declaration: recognizing the project as being of public utility allows the company to take possession of the territory, even if no agreement is reached with the landowners.

For the residents of Ribera Baja and surrounding landowners, however, the newly published decision is the official reference for the project’s impact: it specifies both the area of the authorized change and the scope of public utility and urgent occupation, and the holders of the affected assets and rights must refer to it to clarify their situation.

Fuente: Official Gazette of the Basque Country, no. 207, October 29, 2026, section I (official reference: 2026/4561).