The Sol de La Graciosa Energy Community has claimed in a press release backup energy solutions to guarantee water, healthcare, and essential services on the island.
La Graciosa remained without electricity supply since the early hours of last Sunday. According to several residents, shortly before the blackout, a flash of light was observed on a tower located in the lower area of El Risco, in a very difficult-to-access spot.
As a consequence, the entire island was without electricity and also without water, as the town's pumping system depends on the electricity supply.
The breakdown occurred (once again), moreover, on a Sunday in August, when La Graciosa registers one of its highest levels of occupancy, commercial activity, restaurants, and vacation rentals. "It seems that the 'plan B' once again consists of waiting, crossing our fingers, and trusting that the only system the entire island depends on can be repaired as soon as possible," they criticize from Sol de La Graciosa.
Thus, they consider that this situation "demonstrates a vulnerability that we have been pointing out for some time: La Graciosa depends on a single electrical line and lacks an alternative capable of keeping its basic services operational when that connection fails."
An inhabited island, visited every year by thousands of people and with such a unique territorial reality, "cannot continue depending on a single line without backup systems. We are not asking for luxuries or science fiction. We are asking for planning, safety, and infrastructure in line with the real needs of the population."
Therefore, they demand from the responsible administrations and entities the urgent creation of a real energy contingency plan for La Graciosa. Among the solutions they propose is the *GRID de El Sol*, its own energy system based on solar panels installed on the roofs of buildings and public spaces, combined with electrical storage.
This system would allow at least the island's essential infrastructure to remain operational:
- Water desalination, storage, and pumping systems.
- The health center.
- The cold storage rooms of the Fishermen's Guild.
- Telecommunications and emergency services.
- Future sanitation systems.
- Other essential public services for residents and visitors.
As an alternative or complement, they propose the installation of a high-capacity battery storage system connected to the general grid, capable of temporarily sustaining the electricity supply of the entire island and recharging through solar energy produced on rooftops, buildings, and public areas.
In this regard, they assure that La Graciosa "has sun, usable public space, and a community prepared to participate in the energy transition. What is missing is not energy: what is missing is the decision to turn it into security and autonomy."
"Today's blackout should not be considered simply a one-off breakdown. It is a very clear warning about the consequences of not having redundancy, storage, or specific energy protocols for an isolated territory," they point out.
"We have had a precarious electrical system for the island for over 40 years, patching it up over and over again," highlights Nahum Cabrera, president of the community.
From El Sol de La Graciosa, they demand that the competent administrations, the supplying company, and the island and regional bodies "sit down with the community to design and finance a stable solution. Because in 2026, relying on a single cable is not an energy plan. It is, quite simply, tempting fate."
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