The PP’s Deputy Secretary for the Economy and Sustainable Development, Alberto Nadal, has stated that his party is committed to resolving the structural problems of the Canary Islands‘ electricity system within one parliamentary term should it come to power, paying particular attention to the smaller islands, which he considers to be more vulnerable due to the limitations of their generation and distribution systems.
Nadal made these remarks during a visit to La Palma, where he toured the facilities at the Los Guinchos power station and held a meeting with representatives of the island’s business community.
After touring the power station, the former Secretary of State for Energy under Mariano Rajoy’s government described its facilities as «unsuitable for a developed economy» and highlighted the need to modernise virtually the entire island’s electricity system.
La Palma: Outdated electricity grid in need of comprehensive modernisation
The People’s Party leader has highlighted the efforts made by workers and managers to keep the power station operational, although he has warned of the age of its equipment, some of which is over 50 years old, and the limitations of the infrastructure.
In his view, the modernisation must address both generation and the transmission and distribution networks. To this end, he has called for a review of energy planning, the replacement of older equipment and the strengthening of infrastructure to ensure security of supply.
Nadal has attributed these shortcomings to a lack of investment in the electricity system over the last eight years, and has criticised the delays in launching tenders for power generation in the non-mainland territories.
The People’s Party’s deputy secretary has extended this assessment to the Spanish electricity system as a whole, although he has emphasised that the smaller islands are particularly vulnerable.
Spain needs more electricity interconnections and energy storage facilities
Nadal has also called for progress to be made on the electricity interconnections between Spain and France across the Pyrenees, arguing that their limited capacity restricts both the export of surplus renewable energy and the ability to import electricity when necessary.
In his view, Spain is set to become a European energy powerhouse thanks to its solar and wind resources, although to achieve this it will also need to develop storage systems that enable it to make use of renewable energy generation when weather conditions are unfavourable.
Businesses on La Palma complain about red tape and staff shortages
During his meeting with business leaders from La Palma, Nadal listened to their concerns about the bureaucratic and tax burdens they face, particularly small businesses and the self-employed, as well as the difficulties in recruiting staff due to social security and tax costs.
He also referred to the exodus of young people seeking employment opportunities off the island, the need to improve transport links with the main islands, and the importance of maintaining the financial aid and tax incentives linked to the eruption until La Palma has fully resumed its previous level of activity.
On this last point, he considered that the island’s recovery should not be measured solely in terms of turnover or employment, but also by the time it takes for the perception of volcanic risk, which may influence the decisions of tourists and investors, to fade.
PP calls for a reduction in the tax burden whilst safeguarding investment
Nadal has advocated a gradual reduction in public spending in line with economic growth, which would ease the tax burden on households and businesses without compromising investment in infrastructure and essential services.
Finally, he questioned whether Spain’s economic growth is translating into a corresponding improvement in citizens‘ purchasing power, and attributed this situation to population growth, low productivity, inflation and the tax burden.
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