The arrival of the peak tourist season in the south of Gran Canaria, an island where an energy emergency has been declared due to the growing electricity demand and the obsolescence of current equipment, has generated concern among tour operators about the damage to business in the event of a blackout. The Minister of Energy of the Government of the Canary Islands, Mariano Hernández Zapata (PP), said in 2023 that "we hope that in the first months of 2024" the Government of the Canary Islands can announce the contractors for the repowering of the generation network of the islands "and from then on it will be within a year" that "these emergency measures can be established." We never heard about that again. These are technical procedures that require a high technical qualification beyond selling images on Instagram. The Canarian Government defends its management: "inspectors have been sent to verify the investments committed by Endesa and the state of the generation plants."
"We are very upset with Mr. Zapata, there is an unforgivable climate of laxity, because he has not come to the south of Gran Canaria to explain what plan he has, people from La Palma also come here on holiday," said the manager of a hotel chain in Maspalomas who asked not to be named. "How are we going to maintain a business structure with so much insecurity?" asked the same businessman. In November 2023, the dean of the College of Industrial Engineers of the Eastern Canary Islands, Carlos Medina, stated that "when I say that we should prepare sails in the future for energy zeros, I am totally serious." A German businessman with a cafeteria in the Tropical shopping centre said when questioned by Maspalomas24H that "I understand that with so many canoes there is no interest in talking about energy."
This situation is particularly worrying in view of the increase in tourism expected from October 2024 to March 2025, which is expected to reach record numbers. Gran Canaria has increased its air connectivity and is prepared to receive more tourists, which has raised concerns about the capacity of the electrical system to support this growth. Local authorities have indicated that an urgent renovation of the electrical infrastructure is necessary to avoid possible cuts or failures in the supply during the peak tourist season. The risk of blackouts is a reality that is not counted in Las Palmas but the worst part is borne by the south of Gran Canaria. Companies in the south of Gran Canaria fear the beginning of small, unscheduled power cuts affecting not only local populations but also in tourist areas. In addition to the hospitality industry, it had an impact on the supply of desalinated water in homes and hotels.
