Spain investigates April blackout caused by technical failures

In April 2025, Spain experienced a massive power outage that left tens of millions without electricity, impacting businesses and critical infrastructures. Shortly after 12:30 PM, a series of small grid failures in southern Spain triggered a cascading blackout, which ultimately led to a loss of approximately 15 gigawatts of electricity within just five seconds. The incident also affected Portugal, as the two countries' power grids are interconnected. Authorities later stated that the outage was attributed to multiple technical and planning errors rather than any cyberattack. These errors included poor planning by grid operators, who failed to find a replacement for a power plant that was necessary for balancing power fluctuations. The blackout lasted until the early hours of the next day, causing significant disruption and sparking a debate about the reliability and implications of Spain's increasing reliance on renewable energy sources. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defended the country's energy transition towards renewables, which accounted for nearly 57% of electricity generation in 2024 from sources like wind and solar energy. This situation highlighted the need for additional measures to ensure the stability of the electricity grid amidst a growing investment in renewable energy.