Madrid, of course, fiercely denies it.
Yet, suspicions run high that Spanish authorities were conducting an experiment on their network before the catastrophic “2025 Iberian Power Blackout” that caused the deaths of at least 7 people and crippled both Spain and mainland Portugal for ten hours. Minor power cuts were also reported from southwestern France and Andorra.
In an almost Trumpian-style, Spanish Ecological Transition Minister Sara Aagesen declared on May 28 that “it is false, totally false” that the government carried out any sort of experiment. She also dismissed the idea that the power outage was caused by renewable sources.
Yet, there are many who disagree.
While the issue is still under investigation, experts agree that on April 28, at 12:30, most of the country’s energy demand was being covered by renewable sources, especially photovoltaic solar energy, while the country’s nuclear plants were operating at half capacity. (The more so as the Spanish government is driven by an ambitious plan to phase them out completely starting from 2027.) Some put the share of solar power at 60 percent at the moment of the blackout.
Then, within the next five minutes, something mysteriously caused a massive drop, especially in the solar energy production (namely from 18,000 MW to a meagre 8,000 MW).
The debate will likely continue for years from now and the likeliest outcome is to blame the outage on a “complex set of factors”, but one thing remains without doubt.
The same thing experts have repeatedly warned over-enthusiastic Green-reformer governments about: unlike nuclear or fossil fuel powered plants, renewable energy doesn’t have the capability to act as a natural buffer against disturbances.
Nobody can magically make the Sun shine or the wind blow with a graceful swish of a wand. Besides, those power plants are not designed the same way as coal or gas-powered plants.
Not to mention other factors (that may or may not have played a role in the events of April 28) that are beyond the control of governments or grid operators. Think sabotage, terrorism, war, software malfunction.
Driven by ideological zeal, the Spanish government aims for “100 percent renewables” – and for one day, it has reached it on April 16, just a few days before the blackout. Five days later, solar set a new record, generating 20,120 MW power.
The triumph might have emboldened the grid operators operating under pressure from the government to achieve as high percentage of the country’s needs from renewables as possible. They might have taken too many risks. There might be some other, built-in problem they were unaware of (a little like the operators of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power plant did).
Either way, the much-praised renewables couldn’t prevent the crisis. Chaos ensued.
The exact opposite of what Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in 2022 (when the decision was made to increase dependence on renewables, not in the least in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine and, with that, the sharp increase in the price of gas). He promised no blackouts, no electricity rationing and total energy security.
Even during the dramatic events of April 28, Sánchez tried to blame “private operators”, dismissing the idea that “traditional” power plants could have prevented the power outage. He insisted that accusations against renewable energy sources were “lies”.
Many experts disagree, accusing Sánchez of covering up for failings at Spain’s grid operators.
Grid resilience can be achieved by several ways, and maintaining a healthy level of generation mix, with adequate reserves is one of the easiest methods.
Tempting as it is to dismiss gas coming from the “big, bad Russian bear” for whatever false ideology, it is one of the most easily available means. Unless, of course, energy markets are manipulated by the governments into prioritizing renewables and punishing gas operators. Until this continues, the “lack of synchronous generation” will lead to similar catastrophes.
No government should sacrifice the lives and safety of its citizens on the altar of false ideologies.
