The Government denies the 144-megawatt Alto Cabrera wind farm

The General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines has dismissed the request from Enel Green Power España, SL for prior administrative authorization of the “Alto Cabrera” wind farm, with an installed capacity of 144 MW, and its evacuation infrastructure, located in the provinces of León and Orense. The resolution, signed on August 27, 2026, by the Director General Manuel García Hernández, is published in the Official State Gazette number 225, dated September 11, 2026, and agrees to the archiving of file PEol-382.

The decision is adopted under Article 53 of Law 24/2013, of December 26, on the Electricity Sector, and Royal Decree 1955/2000, of December 1, which regulates the authorization procedures for electrical energy installations. The project, requested on November 28, 2020, and admitted for processing on December 9 of that year, included 33 kV underground lines, the “SET Alto Cabrera 33/220 kV” substation, and a 220 kV overhead line to the San Quereño substation, owned by Red Eléctrica de España, SAU, in the municipalities of Encinedo and Benuza (León) and Carballeda de Valdeorras (Orense).

A project blocked by environmental assessment

On April 12, 2022, the General Directorate of Environmental Quality and Assessment declared the inadmissibility for processing of the request for an ordinary environmental impact assessment, as the three causes provided for in paragraph 4 of Article 39 of Law 21/2013, of December 9, on environmental assessment were present. The promoter filed an administrative appeal on May 19, 2022, before the Secretary of State for the Environment, which they withdrew on May 8, 2026, due to the impossibility of meeting the deadlines of Royal Decree-Law 23/2020, of June 23.

Expiration of access and connection permits

The project had obtained access and connection permits to the transmission grid at the San Quereño 220 kV substation. However, Red Eléctrica de España, SAU reported the expiration of said permits on January 25, 2023, due to failure to meet milestone 2 regarding the obtaining of a favorable environmental impact statement, communicated to the promoter on March 15, 2023.

The administrative milestones that conditioned the project were:

• Obtaining a favorable environmental impact statement within 31 months from June 25, 2020.
• Obtaining the prior administrative authorization within 34 months.
• Failure to certify these milestones results in the automatic expiration of the access and connection permits.

Hearing process and resolution

Following the proposed resolution notified on April 26, 2022, the promoter submitted allegations on May 10, 2022 and, after withdrawing the administrative appeal (recurso de alzada), expressed their agreement with the proposal on May 13, 2026. Following the notification of the hearing process for the update on July 6, 2026, no response was received within the period of fifteen business days.

The resolution dismisses the application and orders the filing of case PEol-382. Against this decision, which does not exhaust administrative remedies, an administrative appeal (recurso de alzada) may be filed before the holder of the Secretary of State for Energy within one month of its publication in the Official State Gazette.

The denial of this 144 MW wind farm, one of the highest-capacity projects processed in the peninsular northwest, reflects the rigor with which the Administration applies the deadlines and environmental requirements of Royal Decree-Law 23/2020. For the renewable sector, it sets a precedent regarding the expiration of access and connection permits when the environmental impact statement is not accredited in a timely manner, a key factor in the planning of new wind developments.

Source: Official State Gazette, no. 225, September 11, 2026, Sec. III, page 121616 (official reference: BOE-A-2026-19045).