Óscar Noda, mayor of Yaiza and opposition councilor in the Cabildo of Lanzarote, maintains that the request from the island's main corporation to the Government of the Canary Islands to halt the delimitation of Renewable Energy Acceleration Zones (ZAR) "confirms what we have denounced since the signing of the agreement with the Government of the Canary Islands to expedite the implementation of the ZAR: lack of information, transparency, and consensus from the CC and PP government, led by Oswaldo Betancort, which intended to sideline the seven municipalities of Lanzarote from strategic decisions on the island's energy transition, especially when sensitive territories are involved, in the case of Yaiza, La Degollada, and Maciot."
The southern leader recalls that "CC and PP voted against, both in the Cabildo and the City Council, the motion that asked the Canary Islands to redefine the location of Renewable Energy Acceleration Zones, among other things. And they did so trying to deceive the population by saying that there was consensus between the Cabildo and the Canary Islands Government and that the consumption of our territory was not at risk, which is precisely what they now acknowledge with the Cabildo's request to the Ministry of Ecological Transition. As mayor of Yaiza and councilor of the Cabildo, I welcome this step back."
For Óscar Noda, "it is clear that the relationship of the governing pact took precedence over the protection of the territory and the interests of Yaiza and Lanzarote, but the political reaction, from the citizens and environmental groups, made them back down."
Óscar Noda states that "as a result of common sense, respect for the population, knowledge of our history, and consultation with technical experts, we presented a well-supported motion that they rejected. I offer the Cabildo and the town councils all the information we have available."
Yaiza's Proposal In addition to redefining the location of the ZARs, since last September, Yaiza has advocated prioritizing locations on urban land over roofs and other human-altered land and urging the Government of the Canary Islands to approve, within a maximum period of one year and with each municipality, municipal plans to promote collective self-consumption, so that there are no asymmetries in the development of this type of electricity generation units in the different municipalities of the Autonomous Community.Yaiza also asks to urge the Canary Islands Executive to compel low-voltage energy distribution companies to publish, on an updated monthly basis, the approximate access and connection capacity at their transformation centers, following the methodology defined in this regard by the National Markets and Competition Commission, in a manner equivalent to how these same companies do for substations"In October, together with San Bartolomé, Haría, and Tías, we brought to Lanzarote the expert Ricardo Guerrero, university professor and director of the Master's Program in Renewable Energies at the University of La Laguna, an international figure in research with extensive experience in the sector who is willing to return to the Island to share his vast technical knowledge," adds Óscar Noda.