The Supreme Court (TS) has issued a key ruling for the electrical infrastructure on the Costa del Sol, overturning the High Court of Justice of Andalusia (TSJA) and siding with the regional government (Junta) and Red Eléctrica. The decision resolves the paralysis of the Benahavís substation's connection, constructed since 2019 and needing only two pylons to integrate into the grid. The process was halted because the owner of the land for one of the pylons, which needs to be expropriated, had appealed the environmental assessment.
Technical sources have warned about the critical state of the electrical grid on the Costa del Sol, particularly concerning potential summer fires. The bottleneck lies in the distribution network, which limits power allocation in many areas. Of the three planned substations in the region (Benahavís, Costasol, and Ventilla), only one is operational, exacerbating the situation.
The Benahavís substation, a transmission substation managed by Red Eléctrica, is vital for the province's development and has been awaiting connection for seven years. The infrastructure is built, but two supports for the connection line are missing, one of which is the subject of a legal dispute over land expropriation.
The TS ruling, which sets a legal precedent, compels the TSJA to issue a new decision that is expected to favor the electrical project. The High Court considers that the environmental assessment cannot be administratively appealed in this case, thus reviving the process.
The electrical situation in the province is concerning, as none of the demand substations have capacity for new projects. This impacts the connection of new housing developments, hospitals, or industrial warehouses, which cannot receive additional energy. The system is at its limit, according to data from the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC) and e-Distribución (Endesa).
