Dozens of people are in a ‘desperate’ situation after being locked out of their new homes due to the lack of an adequate electricity supply.
Some 72 familes are unable to move into the Alma residential development, situated in the heart of Estepona on the Costa del Sol.
Homeowners are now calling on the Ayuntamiento to intervene with the electricity company and grant the long-awaited first occupancy licence (LPO), which cannot be issued while the power issue remains unresolved.
The situation has led to the creation of the Association of Those Affected by Alma Homes in Estepona (ADAVE), formed in October 2025 after buyers were informed by the developer that the building lacked sufficient electrical capacity, despite construction having finished in May.
ADAVE spokesperson Paco Lopez said residents have already contacted the Andalusian Ombudsman and announced a protest outside the town hall this Friday, January 16, at 11am, to demand an urgent solution.
According to the association, the problem stems from what it describes as ‘serious mismanagement’ between the town hall and Endesa dating back to 2021.
‘The lack of coordination at that time means we now have no electricity supply and no first occupancy licence,’ Lopez said.
He claims Endesa did not reserve sufficient electrical capacity when the urban development project was submitted that year, allegedly due to an administrative error.
Despite this, Lopez argues, the council granted the building licence in 2022 and construction went ahead.
Endesa later introduced a restriction in summer 2024 suspending the allocation of power above one megawatt for future developments, a measure the association says should not apply to a project approved years earlier.
Residents reject the argument that the situation is due to a general lack of electrical capacity on the Costa del Sol, insisting that Alma’s case originates from decisions taken in 2021.
Lopez described the shock felt by owners when they learned of the problem after completion visits in May 2025.
‘Many people have already bought furniture or sold their previous homes. We’re desperate,’ he said.
The association is demanding that Endesa fulfil its obligation to supply electricity, that the town hall urgently intensify mediation with the power company and fast-track the first occupancy licence, and that the developer stop pressuring buyers to either withdraw from the purchase or complete without an LPO, which would legally prevent them from living in their homes.
Estepona Town Hall reiterated its position in a statement issued on Monday, calling on the Spanish government to adopt measures to guarantee electricity supply for new residential developments.
The council has written to the Minister for the Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, warning that the national electricity grid is beginning to show signs of being unable to meet growing demand.
According to the council, the issue is affecting buyers of newly built homes across the municipality, as electricity companies are struggling to absorb rising consumption linked to ongoing urban development.
The Spanish Eye has contacted Endesa for comment.
