The Santa Águeda–El Tablero 2 line has been authorized with the occupation of estates

The General Directorate of Energy of the Government of the Canary Islands has granted the administrative authorization and the declaration, specifically, of public utility for the 66 kV single-circuit overhead-underground electric power transmission line, Santa Águeda - El Tablero 2, promoted by Red Eléctrica de España, S.A.U. in the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana. The resolution, signed on October 20, 2026, by the general director Alberto Hernández Suárez, is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Las Palmas number 128, dated October 26, 2026 (announcement 3.410, registration 379718, file AT23/015). The declaration of public utility implies the need for the occupation of the affected assets and rights and the imposition of the corresponding legal easements.

A 10.3-kilometer route between two substations

The project connects the Santa Águeda substation with the El Tablero substation, both in the southern municipality, via a line with a total length of 10.304 kilometers. Red Eléctrica submitted the application on November 14, 2023, with visa number GC112688/00 from the Official College of Industrial Engineers of Eastern Canary Islands, dated November 6, 2023.

Main characteristics of the authorized installation:

• Total length: 10.304 km, of which 5.233 km is an overhead section and 5.071 km is underground.
• Overhead section: AL/AW HAWK type conductor and 17 metal supports, from T-1 to T-17, with overhead-underground transitions at the ends.
• Underground section: two sectors, one of 167 meters from the Santa Águeda substation to support T-1 and another of 4,904 meters from T-17 to El Tablero, passing under the GC-1 highway and running through Mar de Azor, Chile, and Cartago streets, among others.
• Project budget: 4,639,283 euros.

The file was subject to public consultation for thirty days through announcements in the BOE number 310, dated December 28, 2023; the BOP number 157, dated December 29, 2023; the BOC number 5, dated January 8, 2024; the newspaper Canarias7 on January 12, 2024, the notice board of the City Council of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, and the electronic headquarters of the Department.

Overhead lines yes, undergrounding no

The City Council of San Bartolomé de Tirajana certified that no objections were recorded in its registry, but the regional Administration received five letters from affected owners and companies, in addition to a subsequent reiteration submitted on March 15, 2024:

• Elmasa Tecnologías del Agua, S.A.U. and Invercasti Alfa, S.L., due to possible effects on hydraulic infrastructures.
• Heirs of Alejandro del Castillo Bravo de Laguna and Propiedades Mejoradas, S.L.
• Pedro Fernando del Castillo Bravo de Laguna, Elmasa Patrimonial, S.A., Invercasti Alfa, S.L., Inversiones San Felipe, S.L. and Inversiones Santa Águeda, S.L.
• Grupo Inmobiliario Tinojai, S.L., Grupo Tinojai, S.L. and Santa Águeda Sun Golf, S.L.
• Hijos de Francisco López Sánchez, S.A.

The resolution only grants the rectifications of ownership and surface areas, which are incorporated into the annex of affected assets and rights, and dismisses the remaining claims, including those requesting the replacement of the overhead section with an underground solution. The argument is that the installation is included in the binding planning of the transmission network and that underground alternatives present technical, operational, maintenance, and environmental constraints. Ownership discrepancies and compensation will be resolved in the expropriation procedure.

Environmental and Urban Planning Green Light

The project has a favorable Environmental Impact Report, formulated by Resolution number 232/2026, of April 1, 2026, from the General Directorate of Environmental Quality (file 2/2024-0103120031), which concludes that it will not have significant effects on the environment. Additional measures include the installation of triple-blade catadioptric bird diverters and collision monitoring every two weeks during the first two years and monthly thereafter, with the possibility of burying conflict-prone sections as a last resort if accident rates of protected species are detected.

In parallel, the Minister of Ecological Transition and Energy declared the general interest of the works through Order number 221/2026, of June 11, 2026, and the Government Council of the Canary Islands approved Decree 143/2026, of September 4, 2026, which agrees to the execution of the project and orders the modification of the affected urban planning. The municipal report of January 26, 2026, gave conformity to the overhead layout with the PGOU'96, but was unfavorable toward the underground option due to its passage through urban and developable land.

Deadlines and Conditions

The authorization sets a maximum period of 24 months, from notification, to submit the request for commissioning. The works must be executed by high-voltage installation companies, with prior guarantees against third-party damages and complying with environmental conditions. An administrative appeal (recurso de alzada) may be filed against the resolution, which does not exhaust administrative remedies, within a period of one month.

The line reinforces the transport network of southern Gran Canaria and, according to the resolution itself, improves the security and reliability of the supply and facilitates the integration of new renewable generation. For the owners of the affected estates, on the other hand, the publication closes the administrative route for opposing the layout and opens the door to the urgent occupation of the land and the negotiation of compensation.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Las Palmas, no. 128, October 26, 2026, section II (Administration of the Autonomous Community), pp. 18314-18340 (official reference: announcement 3.410, registry 379718, file AT23/015).