Featured in Mountains to climb – 05-2026

Spain speeds up grid reliability efforts

One year on from the Iberian Peninsula blackout, technical analysis and new regulations are reshaping security of supply in Spain. Far from being an isolated incident, reports from the Spanish government, grid operator Red Eléctrica, and industry association ENTSO-E have all concluded that the incident was the result of operational and structural issues. The incident on April 28, 2025, highlighted vulnerabilities in managing an energy mix dominated by renewables, but work is under way to strengthen the system.

By

Pilar Sánchez Molina

11 May 2026

Spanish Minister of Ecological Transition Sara Aagesen has been busy answering questions about the April 28 blackout. | Image: MITECO

It started with the loss of roughly 15 GW of generating capacity within seconds. The sudden loss triggered a cascading collapse that led to a complete power outage. Canceled flights, closed offices, and stalled payments occurred from Madrid to Lisbon and Barcelona to Seville. Examination of the event has revealed voltage deviations, frequency oscillations, and …

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