Endesa has presented a €4.5 million investment plan to reinforce and modernise Formentera's electricity distribution network following a summer marked by repeated power cuts affecting residents, businesses and visitors across the island.

The programme, presented to the Formentera Council on Wednesday, September 9, includes 12 separate projects covering almost nine kilometres of electricity network. The measures are intended to increase the network's capacity, improve the continuity of supply and make the system more resilient when faults or periods of exceptionally high demand occur.

The announcement comes after the island administration repeatedly demanded urgent action following several significant outages during the 2026 high season.

Twelve Projects Planned Across Formentera

The investment programme will be carried out by e-distribution, Endesa's electricity network subsidiary.

Among the most significant projects is an expansion of the transformation capacity at the Formentera substation. The plan also includes a new medium-voltage route in La Savina, as well as new interconnections around Cala Saona and between Sant Ferran and Es Pujols and Sant Ferran and Es Ca Marí.

Together, these works are designed to create a more interconnected electricity network.

According to Endesa, increasing the number of connections between different sections of the network means electricity can be supplied through alternative routes. In the event of a fault, the affected section can potentially be isolated while restoring electricity to most customers more quickly.

The company describes this greater network flexibility as one of the central objectives of the investment.

La Savina Included in the Reinforcement Programme

The planned works in La Savina are particularly significant given the problems experienced there during the summer.

Businesses in the area reported repeated power interruptions during the peak tourist season, with some establishments saying they were forced to close temporarily and discard refrigerated or frozen products following electricity failures.

A new medium-voltage route in the area is intended to strengthen the local distribution network and provide additional operational flexibility.

For a destination such as Formentera, where commercial activity increases sharply during the summer months, reliable electricity infrastructure is particularly important for restaurants, hotels, shops and other tourism-dependent businesses.

A Summer of Repeated Power Cuts

The investment announcement follows a difficult summer for Formentera's electricity supply.

One outage during the season left around 3,000 customers without electricity, while another incident on August 12 affected more than 800 customers in the Es Cap de Barbaria area.

The interruptions generated complaints from businesses and prompted the Formentera Council to demand immediate measures from Endesa.

The island administration argued that the exceptional nature of Formentera's geography should not result in a lower quality of electricity service, particularly during the months when the island experiences its highest population and electricity demand.

Endesa Attributes Summer Incidents to Extreme Heat and High Demand

During the meeting with the Council, Endesa explained its assessment of the summer outages.

The company attributed the incidents to the high level of stress placed on different components of the electricity network as a result of sustained high temperatures during the summer.

Very high temperatures can increase electricity consumption, particularly through the use of air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment, while simultaneously placing additional operating pressure on electrical infrastructure.

The new investment programme is intended to increase the network's capacity and flexibility so that it can better withstand these demanding conditions.

The explanation, however, comes after months of concern from local authorities and businesses about the reliability and capacity of the island's internal distribution network.

Council Welcomes Investment but Wants Faster Action

Formentera Council President Óscar Portas welcomed the €4.5 million investment while making clear that the administration wants the projects to move forward as quickly as possible.

Portas described the investment as important and necessary, but argued that it comes after years in which, in the Council's view, Formentera had not received the infrastructure improvements required to adapt the electricity network to current needs.

The Council is now calling for the 12 planned projects to be implemented with maximum speed.

The administration has also committed to accelerating any procedures within its own responsibility that could help facilitate the works.

Fire Prevention Also Part of the Concern

The electricity network is not only an issue of service reliability.

The Formentera Council has also raised concerns about infrastructure located in areas with vegetation, particularly during periods of increased wildfire risk.

The island administration has asked for greater preventive maintenance and permanent coordination with Endesa to identify vulnerable points before they result in failures or potentially create additional risks.

This is particularly relevant during the hottest and driest months of the year, when the combination of vegetation, high temperatures and electrical infrastructure requires careful management.

The Council says it will facilitate and accelerate the administrative procedures within its control to help ensure the planned investments can be carried out.

No Detailed Construction Timetable Yet

Although Endesa has now provided a total investment figure and outlined the 12 planned projects, a detailed timetable for construction has not yet been established.

The company has indicated that the works will be carried out progressively as the necessary authorisations are obtained.

That means the immediate priority for Formentera will be turning the announced investment into completed infrastructure.

The lack of a fixed timetable is likely to remain an important issue for the island administration, particularly after the disruption experienced during the 2026 summer season.

Formentera Receives Its Plan as Ibiza Awaits Details

The announcement also creates an interesting contrast between the two main Pitiusan islands.

While Formentera now has a €4.5 million package comprising 12 specific projects, Endesa has yet to reveal the size and scope of its forthcoming investment programme for Ibiza.

The company has indicated that details for Ibiza will be announced soon, but no final figure, list of projects or timetable has been made public.

Ibiza has also experienced repeated electricity outages during the 2026 summer, leading its own island administration to seek discussions with Endesa about the condition and capacity of the network.

Rising Electricity Demand Adds to the Pressure

The debate comes as electricity demand across the Balearic Islands continues to increase.

Regional electricity demand rose significantly during August compared with the same month of the previous year, after adjusting for the effect of temperatures. The increase was considerably higher than the growth recorded nationally.

The rise illustrates the growing pressure placed on electricity infrastructure during the summer, when the islands experience a major increase in population and consumption.

Formentera's situation is particularly sensitive because of its small size, seasonal population changes and dependence on a distribution network that must cope with substantial peaks in demand.

A Test for the Island's Electricity Network

The €4.5 million programme represents the largest clearly defined response yet to Formentera's electricity problems during the 2026 season.

The planned projects are intended to make the network more flexible, improve the ability to reroute electricity during failures and increase its capacity to handle periods of high demand.

For the Council, however, the announcement is only the beginning. The administration has made clear that it wants the works carried out quickly rather than simply added to a long-term investment programme.

After a summer in which thousands of customers experienced outages and some businesses reported direct financial losses, the effectiveness of the plan will ultimately be measured by whether the new infrastructure reduces the frequency and impact of future interruptions.

Formentera now has a €4.5 million electricity network investment programme on the table. The next stage will be securing the required authorisations, beginning the 12 planned projects and determining how quickly the island's electricity system can be brought up to the level of reliability demanded by residents and its year-round and seasonal economy.