Consell de Formentera and Govern stake upgrades to energy model on coordination

reunio-4-1-The president of the Consell de Formentera, Alejandra Ferrer, received a visit today from the Balearic minister of energy transition and manufacturing sectors, Juan Pedro Yllanes. The first encounter of its kind, the working meeting saw Ferrer and Yllanes agreeing on the need for coordination in key areas like assuring access to government benefits related to the environment, business, and power supply and the energy transition on Formentera.

Ferrer highlighted recent glitches on the local supply of electricity that occasioned service interruptions and other incidents this summer like a fire in la Mola. “The Govern has pledged its support in getting the firm in question to conduct maintenance to pre-empt any repeats of our situation this summer”, said the president. She also underscored “the need for collaboration in areas like inspections to prevent unfair competition”.

Meeting attendees also tackled the question of the es Ca Marí electricity substation and the activation of a third power cable. Ferrer stressed the importance of analysis in order to gain a clear sense of the shape of Formentera's energy situation. That will be key, in Ferrer's words, to “seeing how we're doing, determining what's still necessary” and making sure islanders are cutting consumption and moving toward clean energy.

The regional minister asserted that on such matters, Formentera's idiosyncrasies “feature prominently on the Govern's radar”. He also pledged his ministry's unflagging support for small- and medium-sized business and held up the Govern's commitment to getting the third electricity-supply cable classified as a public-interest project in order to speed up its installation. He additionally insisted that a sound path towards energy transition locally meant “coordination between Madrid, Palma and Formentera is key”.

Others on hand at the meeting were the director general of energy for the Govern, Ferran Rosa; Formentera's councillor of housing, seniors, trade and entrepreneurship, Ana Juan; the local councillor of mobility and territory, Rafael González and the island councillor for environment and inspections, Antonio J Sanz.

4 September 2019
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera