Spain hits first weekday of 100% renewable power on national grid

Spain’s grid ran entirely on renewable energy for the first time on April 16, with wind, solar, and hydro meeting all peninsular electricity demand during a weekday. Five days later, solar set a new record, generating 20,120 MW of instantaneous power – covering 78.6% of demand and 61.5% of the grid mix.
A solar façade on a municipal building located in Madrid, Spain | Image: Hanjin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

From pv magazine Spain

Spain’s grid operator Red Eléctrica has confirmed that renewable energy sources fully met electricity demand across the country’s peninsular system for the first time on April 16.

Wind generated 256 GWh, accounting for 45.8% of total output. Solar followed with 151 GWh, or 27%. Hydroelectric sources added 129 GWh, making up 23.1% of the mix. Solar thermal contributed 11 GWh, or 2%, while other renewables added another 11 GWh, or 1.9%. Renewable waste generated 1 GWh, or 0.2%.

At 11:15 a.m. that day on April 16, wind and PV combined to generate 100.63% of total demand – a first in Spain’s energy history. Unlike previous milestones, this occurred on a weekday.

On April 21 at 1:35 p.m., solar reached a new record for instantaneous power, generating 20,120 MW – 0.7% higher than the previous record set on July 12, 2024. At that moment, PV accounted for 61.5% of the national mix and 78.6% of demand.

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Comments

John Raw
Apr 30, 2025

This report gives the impression that backup from conventional power sources (when the sun goes down) is no longer needed. Backup will always be needed, i.e., the cost of renewables is always on top of conventional power generation.

David
Apr 29, 2025

Then on 28 April, it all collapsed.

Alex
Apr 28, 2025

And 6 days later?

Deres
Apr 28, 2025

And just one week after this victory claim, the whole spanish network collapsed …

Tor Eckman
Apr 28, 2025

And now blackouts. Well done everybody. Very progressive. The degrowth dream is working as planned. https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c9wpq8xrvd9t

Devo Dever
Apr 24, 2025

That is awesome!!! Wish we in the UK would take a leaf from these guys’ book. Too many naysayers and conspiracy fuelled far right types though unfortunately!