Major Blackout Hits Iberia
Time & Scope: Around 12:35 p.m. local time, a complete grid collapse plunged Spain and Portugal into darkness, affecting up to 49 million people.
Impact: Trapped individuals in elevators, grounded planes, shut down ATMs and trains, and disrupted phone and internet services.
Spain’s Grid Vulnerability
High Renewable Reliance: At the time, 66% solar, 12% wind, 12% nuclear, 3% natural gas.
Criticism: Experts say over-reliance on renewables led to a lack of grid inertia, increasing vulnerability to disturbances.
Official Explanations Inconsistent
Spanish and Portuguese officials blamed “rare atmospheric phenomena” and voltage fluctuations, but specifics remain unclear.
Energy analysts criticized the lack of transparency, calling explanations "Orwellian".
Renewables & Grid Instability
Low Inertia Issue: Wind and solar provide little kinetic energy to stabilize the grid during sudden shifts.
Asynchronous Generation: Renewables must be manually synchronized, unlike fossil fuel or nuclear sources.
Warnings Ignored
Grid experts have warned for years about risks tied to declining thermal generation and rising renewables.
A similar incident in 2021 nearly collapsed the Spanish grid due to wildfires affecting transmission lines.
🇺🇸 U.S. Policy Context
Biden administration pushed decarbonization despite NERC warnings about grid reliability risks.
Trump administration reversed course in 2025, prioritizing grid reliability over emissions cuts.
Geopolitical & Economic Implications
Trump criticized European energy policies for empowering China, which dominates the clean energy supply chain.
Blackout cost Spain $1.82 billion, and full infrastructure recovery is still ongoing.
Media & Transparency
Associated Press called the cause a "mystery" and did not mention renewables, despite receiving climate-focused funding.
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