Energy Crisis in the Iberian Peninsula – 28 April 2025

A widespread blackout on 28 April 2025 disrupted power across Spain, Portugal, Andorra, and parts of southern France, exposing vulnerabilities in the Iberian Peninsula’s energy infrastructure and prompting renewed debate over energy policy and grid resilience.

On 28 April 2025, a major power outage affected the Iberian Peninsula, primarily impacting Spain, Portugal, Andorra, and southern France.

According to Spain’s electricity grid operator (REE), the disruption began in the provinces of Granada, Badajoz, and Seville. These regions are largely dependent on photovoltaic solar energy and lack synchronised generation sources such as hydroelectric, thermal, or nuclear power plants, making them more vulnerable to instabilities within the grid.

As soon as France detected frequency disturbances in the Spanish power grid, it immediately disconnected from the shared system to protect its own network. This left the Iberian Peninsula without external support, worsening the situation further.

Spain’s Electricity Grid had previously warned about risks to the system. Its 2023 report highlighted several technical faults and stressed the urgency of preventive measures. However, there is no official confirmation that these warnings had been passed on to Prime Minister Sánchez or that he had been made aware of them.

Causes Ruled Out by Experts and Officials:

Cyberattack: Spain’s electricity operator ruled out the possibility of a cyberattack following preliminary investigations. A cybersecurity task force analysed millions of data points and found no signs of a digital breach. Spain’s Intelligence Centre officially excluded this scenario.

Energy supply shortage: Spain had been exporting electricity well before the incident, indicating there was no generation deficit at the time of the outage.

Probable Causes:

Overloading of the grid, particularly in Granada, Badajoz, and Seville;

Complete reliance on solar energy in these areas, without backup from hydro or thermal sources;

A further aggravating factor was France’s automatic disconnection, which caused a sharp drop in voltage and led to a total system failure;

Structural weaknesses in Spain’s power grid, including overdependence on renewable sources and insufficient internal network resilience.

Outcome:

The Spanish government estimates that the investigation into the exact causes could take between three and six months. Following the incident, there has been renewed focus on reducing dependency on the central grid, increasing the share of renewable energy, and strengthening energy security.

Political Fallout:

The opposition has seized on the blackout to question the government’s energy policy—particularly its commitment to renewables and the phased closure of nuclear power stations.

Note:

Spain had recently resumed energy exchange with Portugal. The blackout not only affected Portugal’s energy system but also negatively impacted broader economic indicators, including those of the Bank of Portugal. Lisbon has attributed the source of the crisis to Spain, though it has neither confirmed nor denied reports that it may seek compensation.

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