The spokesperson for the Gomera Socialist Group Parliamentary Group (ASG), Casimiro Curbelo, has demanded this Wednesday in the Parliament of the Canary Islands that the electrical ring of La Gomera through Valle Gran Rey be completed so that a breakdown in Agulo does not also leave the residents of Vallehermoso and Valle Gran Rey without supply. The deputy valued the connection with Tenerife and asked that the island's interior network be reinforced so that electricity can reach these municipalities through another route when a line fails.
During the Government control session, Curbelo asked the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, what measures the different governments and responsible entities have adopted to avoid new energy zeros. He recalled that both La Gomera and La Palma have suffered two general blackouts and asked public administrations, including the State, and electricity operators, in particular Red Eléctrica and Endesa, to review their actions.
“Energy is an essential service,” said the ASG spokesperson in the Autonomous Chamber, who described the island's electrical systems as “very fragile, weak and vulnerable.” To explain what it would mean to complete the La Gomera network, he gave the example of an interruption in Agulo that spread to other municipalities despite the connection with Tenerife being operational. “Hey, close the ring now, man, what are we waiting for?” he asked the head of the Canary Islands Executive.
The Gomero parliamentarian extended that request to the maintenance of the lines that already serve each island. He also called for investments in power plants that have become obsolete and means to store energy. “We have to invest more,” said Curbelo, who called for protocols that allow us to act quickly in the event of an incident and shorten the time that families and companies remain without electricity.
In his response, Clavijo recalled that the blackout that La Gomera suffered in July 2023 caused million-dollar losses on the island. He explained that the Canary Islands Executive declared an energy emergency and promoted an extraordinary generation contest to reinforce supply. He also recognized the contribution of the Cabildo of La Gomera to the electrical interconnection with Tenerife.
The president also reported the awarding of a tender that, according to him, had been paralyzed for 13 years and contemplates the installation of 78 generation groups, with more than 1,400 megawatts of power throughout the islands. The equipment is pending installation. Clavijo added that the Government of the Canary Islands has requested a second tender from the Ministry for the groups that were not awarded and agreed with Curbelo on the need to close the electrical rings to maintain the service in the areas where electricity can reach through an alternative route.
