Canarian Nationalist Group backs motion for a Canary Islands Energy Communities Plan

The Canarian Nationalist Parliamentary Group (CCa) is backing a non-legislative motion to launch a Canary Islands Rural Energy Communities Plan, with a pilot project on El Hierro. The proposal, put forward by Asociación Herreña Independiente, was discussed by the Committee on Ecological Transition at the Parliament of the Canary Islands.

During the debate, MP Natalia Évora Soto stressed that “moving towards a more sustainable energy model does not simply mean installing more renewable energy. It also means deciding how, where and for whom that energy is produced”.

Évora argued that the energy transition must be “an opportunity for our towns, our rural settlements and, above all, our citizens”.

As the MP explained, this requires a clear, decisive and well-planned commitment to the Canary Islands. “That is precisely why we believe this proposal matters. The Canarian Nationalist Group believes that the real balance between sustainability, territorial considerations and public participation lies in self-consumption and energy communities.”

Évora points to Fuerteventura as an example

The Fuerteventura MP stressed that one of the proposal’s main advantages is that it avoids the indiscriminate use of land.

“In Fuerteventura, we have an example that we must not repeat,” Évora added, again emphasising the need to “make use of roofs, agricultural buildings and, ultimately, spaces already altered by human activity”.

For the Fuerteventura MP, it is essential to “produce energy where it is consumed and where the benefits go directly to citizens”.

For this reason, she added, “when a neighbour takes part in an energy community, we are also talking about savings, lower costs and benefits for those taking part”.

A Canary Islands plan tailored to each island’s specific needs

In this context, Évora noted that a national framework is already moving in this direction and, in her view, should be put to use by the Canary Islands Government.

The MP said that Royal Decree-Law 7/2026 introduced measures to facilitate collective self-consumption and energy communities. These include extending the permitted distance to five kilometres for certain photovoltaic installations linked to self-consumption, creating the role of self-consumption manager and strengthening local authorities’ tools to promote these models.

“We need to make use of that framework and, as set out in the non-legislative motion, propose a Canary Islands Energy Communities Plan, creating planning tools and territorial models suited to each island’s specific needs,” she concluded.