Public utility is declared for the Abadiano-Azpeitia sectio…

The territorial delegate for Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability of Bizkaia, María Jesús Markaida Uriarte, has granted I-DE Redes Eléctricas Inteligentes, S.A.U. the prior administrative and construction authorization for the 132 kV double-circuit power line “Abadiano-Azpeitia 1 and 2”, in the section between tower 4 and tower 27, and has specifically declared its public utility. The decision, dated October 30, 2026, is published in the Official Gazette of the Basque Country number 217, of November 12, 2026, with reference 2026/4811 and file number 48-AT-Y-2024-00048. The declaration of public utility implies the need for the occupation of the affected assets and rights.

Origin of the file

The procedure began on May 6, 2024, when I-DE Redes Eléctricas Inteligentes, S.A.U. requested from the Territorial Delegation of Bizkaia the prior authorization, the construction authorization, and the specific declaration of public utility of the execution project, along with the ordinary environmental impact assessment. The action affects the municipal terms of Abadiño, Berriz, Elorrio, and Zaldibar, in Bizkaia, and includes the entry and exit to the “ST Zaldibar” substation from the “Abadiano-Azpeitia 2” line.

The processing was based on Law 24/2013, of December 26, on the Electricity Sector, on Royal Decree 1955/2000, of December 1, on Decree 48/2020, of March 31, of the Basque Government, on Law 21/2013, of December 9, on environmental assessment, and on Law 10/2021, of December 9, on Environmental Administration of the Basque Country. The competence of the body is based on Decree 410/2024, of December 3, modified by Decree 8/2026, of January 27.

Public information and consultations

The request was submitted for public information through announcements published in the BOPV of July 18, 2025, in the Official Gazette of Bizkaia of July 14, 2025, on the notice boards of the town halls of Abadiño, Berriz, Zaldibar, and Elorrio, and in the newspaper El Correo of July 11, 2025.

In parallel, the affected administrations were consulted and offprints were sent for the technical conditions:

City Councils of Abadiño, Berriz, Elorrio, and Zaldibar.
Directorates of Natural Heritage and Climate Change Adaptation, Public Health and Addictions, and Cultural Heritage, Intellectual Property and Legal Deposit of the Basque Government.
Departments of Infrastructure and Territorial Development, Basque Language, Culture and Sport, and Natural Environment and Agriculture of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia.
Ura, Basque Water Agency.
Red Eléctrica de España, S.A.U., Telefónica de España, S.A., and Enagás, S.A.
As interested parties in the environmental procedure, Asociación Recreativa Eguzkizaleak, Ekologistak Martxan, and the Spanish Ornithological Society SEO/Birdlife.

Environmental and Heritage Conditions

The ordinary environmental assessment file was submitted on April 9, 2026, under reference EIAO-172, and on May 22, 2026, the Director of Environmental Administration formulated the environmental impact statement, published in the BOPV on June 10, 2026. This statement is binding and its compliance is mandatory for the execution of the project.

The reports incorporated into the file establish the main conditions:

The Directorate of Natural Heritage and Climate Change Adaptation of the Basque Government concluded on August 18, 2025, that the project is environmentally viable with the proposed preventive and corrective measures.
The Directorate of Cultural Heritage issued a favorable report on September 4, 2025, as it did not foresee impacts on cultural assets.
Ura warned on September 29, 2025, that the actions will require its prior authorization as they affect the public hydraulic domain, the easement zone, and the police zone of several watercourses.
The General Directorate of the Environment of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia demanded on December 15, 2025, prior surveys of nests and shelters of threatened fauna, measures against invasive alien species, and the installation of bird diverters on neutral and fiber optic cables.
The Cultural Heritage Service of the Provincial Council recommended on February 23, 2026, continuous archaeological monitoring of the earthworks for the foundations and new access roads.

Allegations and Expropriation Effects

Within the regulatory period, on August 27, 2025, José Luis Gómez Querejeta submitted allegations regarding the ownership of the affected estates and the planned impacts on land, trees, and agricultural holdings under his ownership. I-DE responded on September 30, 2025, agreeing to update the list of assets and rights and the plans, clarified the impacts on trees and vineyards, justified the route for technical and security reasons, and committed to restoring the affected paths.

The declaration of public utility is based on article 54 of Law 24/2013 and implies urgent occupation for the purposes of article 52 of the Compulsory Expropriation Law of December 16, 1954, with the registration effects of article 53 of the same regulation.

Deadlines and appeal process

The commissioning period is three years from the resolution; if this period expires without the exploitation authorization being requested, expiration may be declared. The holder must notify the Territorial Delegation of Bizkaia of the completion of the works for final recognition and the commissioning act.

Against the resolution, which does not exhaust the administrative route, an administrative appeal (recurso de alzada) may be filed before the Director of Decarbonization of the Department of Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability within one month from the day following its notification. The maximum period for resolving it is three months; if no decision is issued, it will be understood as dismissed.

The publication of this resolution closes the administrative authorization route and formally opens the land occupation phase, a decisive step for the owners of the four affected municipalities, who may now see the expropriation procedures initiated on their lands.

Source: Official Gazette of the Basque Country, no. 217 of November 12, 2026, Other Provisions, p. 2026/4811 (1/5) (official reference: 2026/4811).