The reconfiguration of the electrical system in southern Gran Canaria has entered its most delicate implementation phase. The Official Gazette of the Canary Islands has formalized the preliminary records for the 220 kV power line that will connect Barranco de Tirajana with Santa Águeda. Under the auspices of the Electricity Sector Law, the declaration of public utility granted to Red Eléctrica de España, SAU activates an urgent land acquisition procedure that transforms the landscape of San Bartolomé de Tirajana into a grid of forced expropriations. The infrastructure, a double overhead-underground circuit, not only redraws the island's energy map but also directly impacts private property in an area where the land holds strategic and emotional value.
On May 21, 2026, the Assembly Hall of the San Bartolomé de Tirajana Town Hall will become the registration office for a property transfer. The owners of plot 8, a large group of heirs and co-owners, have been summoned to formalize the transfer of their air rights and easements. Those affected include Dolores Pino Domínguez Suárez, Ruymán Yeray Martín Domínguez, Jone Mahy Martín Domínguez, Mateo Santiago Domínguez Suárez, Luis Domínguez Suárez, Ángela del Rosario Domínguez Suárez, Aurelio Domínguez Suárez, Severino Domínguez Suárez, Leocadio Domínguez Suárez, Margarita Domínguez Suárez, Rosalía del Pilar Domínguez Suárez, Julio Martín Valido, and María Esther Navarro. For these citizens, the bureaucracy of the ecological transition translates into the loss of sovereignty over their land in favor of an electrical security zone.
On May 21, starting at 15:00 PM, the technical reality of the kilovolts will clash with the property rights of the residents. The formalization of these preliminary agreements marks the point of no return for the execution of the AT-11RR099 project. While the General Directorate of Energy complies with the legal deadlines, the affected property owners will have to navigate an expropriation process that, under the guise of public utility, redefines their relationship with the land in the name of the island's electrical development.
The administrative machinery of the General Directorate of Energy, led by Alberto Hernández Suárez, operates with a technical precision that ignores the family dynamics of those affected. The announcement of April 30, 2026, establishes that appearance is mandatory, requiring the presentation of national identity cards, property titles, and the most recent property tax receipt. The regulations allow those whose property has been expropriated to be accompanied by experts and notaries, a measure that underscores the litigious nature of these proceedings. The deployment of the high-voltage power line imposes permanent usage restrictions, prohibiting any activity that interferes with the conductors' flight path or the safety of the infrastructure.
The Spanish electricity grid operator Red Eléctrica de España is acting as the beneficiary of a process that prioritizes the public interest over private property. The declaration of public utility, made by resolution in December 2024, provides the legal framework that allows for the immediate occupation of the land. The planned overhead power line section over the Tirajana Ravine requires not only the installation of pylons but also the creation of easements that affect the original classification and use of the plots. This intervention occurs within a context of increasing pressure on rural land in the south, where industrial and energy infrastructure competes with the traditional landscape.
The 1954 eminent domain procedure, invoked in this case, remains the State's most powerful tool for developing critical infrastructure. The summons in San Bartolomé de Tirajana is the final administrative step before Red Eléctrica takes physical possession of the land. Those affected have the opportunity to submit appeals to the Directorate General of Energy to correct errors in the list of properties, but the fate of the plots appears sealed by the urgency of the island's energy policy.
The ecological transition in the Canary Islands requires a robust transmission network capable of integrating new generation sources and guaranteeing supply to the southern tourism sector. However, the cost of this modernization is being borne by small landowners whose names are now being recorded in the Official Gazette. The Barranco de Tirajana-Santa Águeda power line is a key piece in the puzzle of energy sovereignty, but its construction leaves behind a trail of preliminary agreements and temporary occupations that alter the land ownership landscape in the municipality.
