Spain's energy debate ignited by recent blackout

A fierce debate has erupted in Spain regarding the potential role of renewable energy in the recent blackout that disrupted millions of lives. While officials attempt to downplay any connection, the discourse surrounding the country's energy policies has intensified.

The conservative newspaper ABC boldly proclaimed, "The lack of nuclear power stations and the 'boom' in renewables have brought the electricity grid to its knees." In contrast, El Mundo cautioned that "warnings about renewables over the last five years" have been overlooked.

Opposition parties have criticized Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for his ambitious goal of positioning Spain as a leader in green energy, especially following the power outage that halted trains, trapped individuals in elevators, and plunged cities into darkness across Spain and neighboring Portugal.

According to the electricity operator REE, solar and wind sources comprised nearly 40 percent of Spain's electricity last year, doubling the share from 2014. In stark contrast, the proportion of electricity generated by nuclear power fell to 20 percent in 2024, as the government aims for a complete phase-out of nuclear facilities by 2035.

Concerns over the reliability of this energy mix were raised after it was revealed that Redeia, REE's parent company, had issued warnings in its 2024 financial report. The report stated that "the high penetration of renewable generation without the necessary technical capacity to adequately handle disturbances" could lead to production cuts, creating potential risks for the electricity supply.

Experts have pointed to a possible imbalance between electricity production and demand, which is increasingly difficult to manage in a grid heavily reliant on wind and solar energy. Following the blackout, questions arose about whether this imbalance contributed to the system's failure.

However, Beatriz Corredor, president of Redeia and a former Socialist lawmaker, asserted that renewable energy production is secure. In an interview with Cadena Ser, she dismissed claims linking renewables to the blackout, emphasizing that their annual financial report merely outlined potential risks as mandated by law.

Sara Aagesen, Spain's Ecological Transition Minister, echoed this sentiment, stating that the cause of the blackout remains unknown and cautioning against speculation. She maintained that Spain's energy system had functioned effectively under similar demands and energy mixes, asserting that blaming renewables is unwarranted.

In response to the criticism, Sánchez defended his government's energy model, asserting that those who attribute the blackout to the absence of nuclear power are either misinformed or deliberately misleading. He argued that nuclear plants posed challenges during the outage, as energy had to be redirected to maintain their stability.

The blackout resulted in a staggering loss of 15 gigawatts of electricity generation—approximately 60 percent of the country’s consumption at the time—in a mere five seconds. Spain's top criminal court has initiated an investigation into the potential for computer sabotage, although REE has ruled out a cyberattack as a cause.

At present, the blackout's origins remain unclear, with REE suggesting that two separate incidents occurring just one and a half seconds apart may have impacted solar power production in southwest Spain. However, they caution that no definitive conclusions can be drawn at this stage.