The Lanzarote Cabildo has sent a resolution to the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Energy of the Government of the Canary Islands, in which it communicates its institutional concern over the social rejection generated in Lanzarote following the delimitation and initial publication of the Renewable Energy Acceleration Zones (ZAR), based on maps that "were not agreed upon" with the island corporation, as the island's primary institution has defended to date.
The document states that the publication of these maps has caused "an avoidable social conflict", as it is perceived as a direct impact on the island's territory and Lanzarote's energy sovereignty, as well as a risk to the economic return of energy exploitation on the island. The order also recalls that current regional regulations "expressly prioritize the implementation of renewable energies on existing roofs and buildings, conditioning land occupation on prior technical justification and the exhaustion of available potential on roofs".
The president of the Cabildo points out that "the communication sent to the Government of the Canary Islands strictly adheres to the current legal framework and the need for energy planning based on objective data and updated studies on the actual use of rooftops on the island, before proposing any land implementation." In this regard, the provision requests rigorous technical information to determine the current degree of occupation and the real growth margin for photovoltaic energy in existing buildings.
For his part, counselor Jesús Machín explains that the document also proposes that "any future implementation on land incorporate additional criteria for the protection of the landscape and the island's territory, as well as the prioritization of public ownership models or formulas that guarantee a social and economic return for Lanzarote, following previous experiences of public management of renewable energies on the island".
Likewise, Machín emphasizes that this position is part of the energy model that Lanzarote has historically defended, based on territorial protection, planning, and public ownership of infrastructure. In this regard, he recalled experiences such as Eólicas de Lanzarote, which have allowed progress in the energy transition by balancing renewable production, landscape conservation, and economic return for the island
The ruling also urges the regional Ministry to open a period of reflection, dialogue, and institutional negotiation with the Cabildo of Lanzarote, with the aim of redirecting the energy planning process by incorporating territorial, social, and environmental considerations, and heeding the majority will of the citizens of Lanzarote.
