We have been discussing Renewable Energy Acceleration Zones (ZAR) in Lanzarote for over a year. We have seen maps, conflicting statements, announcements of paralysis, and rectifications. However, we still have not resolved what energy model we want for our island and who should decide it.
In July 2025, the president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, signed a protocol with the Government of the Canary Islands that identified more than 3,100 hectares potentially suitable for renewable installations. Social opposition and institutional disagreements led the Cabildo to question that agreement. In March 2026, together with the Cabildo of Fuerteventura, it even frontally rejected the ZAR model itself, considering it incompatible with the territorial characteristics of both islands.
Just a few days later, the Cabildo and the Government of the Canary Islands agreed to continue working through a technical commission to review the maps and correct errors. Now, a new island proposal plans to limit certain lands intended for photovoltaic installations to 164 hectares.
After all this time, the public has the right to know whether the Cabildo maintains the fundamental objections it publicly expressed or considers them resolved. Transparency demands explanations because if there have been changes, where the model was previously rejected and now delimitations are proposed, Oswaldo Betancort must explain them.
I am unaware of the internal conversations between administrations, but I am aware of their public positions and decisions. Given this, the question that arises for me is to what extent political commitments are conditioning the position of Betancort's government.
Negotiating with the Government of the Canary Islands is necessary. What would not be acceptable is that it ends up substituting the definition of its own energy policy for Lanzarote. Oswaldo Betancort must clarify what he defends and what commitments he is willing to make in favor of self-government and island sovereignty against external (or party) interests.
From my point of view, the debate cannot be limited to deciding how many hectares the installations will occupy. Before discussing where to produce energy, we must decide how much we need, how we can reduce consumption, and who will benefit from its production.
The Cabildo has already presented technical criteria that prioritize roofs, parking lots, and other transformed spaces. It is a (late) step forward that must be recognized. However, establishing location criteria is not equivalent to having an island energy policy with investments, measurable objectives, and effective citizen participation.
We must publicly know and debate demand forecasts, real savings possibilities, the potential of existing roofs, and the necessary investments in grids and storage. Also, the alternatives considered and their economic, social, and environmental consequences.
The primary responsibility lies with the administrations. The Cabildo and the town councils should promote a coordinated program of energy efficiency and utilization of their buildings and facilities, with public budgets, timelines, and results.
The transition must also reach families, neighborhood communities, and small businesses. It cannot be reserved for those who have capital or their own roof. Public advice, collective self-consumption, and citizen and independent energy communities must serve to democratize production and reduce the energy costs of the population.
The dependence on fossil fuels cannot be replaced by a renewable model in which ownership and profits are once again concentrated in a few hands or in multinationals. Lanzarote must take advantage of its natural resources to strengthen its economy, protect the territory, and improve the living conditions of its population.
The Insular Cabildo must clarify its definitive position on the ZAR model, explain how the commitments made with the Government of the Canary Islands will be handled, and establish a public timeline for developing an island energy strategy with social participation and concrete investments.
Lanzarote needs to move forward decisively in renewable energies. But doing so well requires democratic planning, institutional responsibility, and the capacity to defend the sovereign interests of the island we inhabit.
Oswaldo Betancort cannot continue leaving in the air what energy model the Cabildo he represents defends. His responsibility is not to maintain political balances with the Government of the Canary Islands, but to ensure that Lanzarote can decide on its territory and its energy future.
That is the debate that we must recover. And that is the responsibility that the Cabildo has to assume.
Add La Voz de Lanzarote as a preferred Google source.
Stay informed with the latest current news.