The power outage leads to a battle over transparency and multi-million dollar claims.

MadridMore than a month after the massive power outage that affected the Iberian Peninsula, the mystery surrounding the incident is not the only one arising. Solving the puzzle of the blackout's cause has added a battle for transparency, but also the question of who will assume the expected multi-million-dollar claims for the power outage suffered by businesses and families for more than eight hours. These are two fronts that have only escalated in recent days.

Letter exchange

Following the blackout, various working groups were launched to investigate its causes. One is the group created by the Spanish government itself—the Committee for the Analysis of the Electricity Crisis—and coordinated by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge. Two working groups report to this committee: the first is dedicated to gathering all the information on the electricity system, while the second analyzes digital systems and everything related to cybersecurity. So far, the Spanish government has made progress in determining the geographic origin of the blackout (locating it in Granada, Badajoz, and Seville) and has ruled out the hypothesis of a cyberattack on Red Eléctrica.

In parallel to this committee, a European group of experts linked to the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) was created, which has focused attention on the transparency of the process and, in particular, the difficulty in accessing information from electricity companies. On May 28, this group sent a letter to the Spanish government complaining about the difficulties in accessing information from electricity companies, both producers and distributors. In the letter, the European experts explain that they had requested all the information from Red Eléctrica, but that the system operator had indicated that it did not have it because the affected companies cited "confidentiality requirements" that they must comply with by law.

Faced with this situation, ENTSO-E requested the assistance of the Spanish government, which did not hesitate to respond to the request. This Wednesday, the Ministry for Ecological Transition, under the leadership of Sara Aagesen, sent a letter to the main companies in the sector, as well as to Red Eléctrica, the control centers and the owners of the evacuation infrastructures, requesting that they send the information that the European group demands before next June 10, as has been advanced Eldiario.es and sources from the ministry confirmed this to ARA. In the letter, the ministry expressed its "concern" about the slowness in sending the information and the fact that this could delay the investigation.

In response to this exchange of letters, the major companies did not hesitate to respond. Aelec, the employers' association that represents the main companies in the sector, indicated that it is "absolutely false" that the electricity companies are hiding information or delaying responses to requests regarding the power outage, as revealed in a statement released Thursday afternoon. The lobby insists that the companies have "opened the doors to the investigation" and defends "the firm commitment to transparency and collaboration." "The existence of accusations against renewable or conventional energy sources without providing data, projecting suspicion onto companies in the sector that have an impeccable track record, discredits those who make them and damages the reputation of the electricity system and the country," the statement says.

A week ago, it was Aagesen herself who, despite "thanking" the information provided by the sector, pointed out that "it was arriving at a slower rate last week." "It's starting to arrive in dribs and drabs," she added. This isn't the first time since the blackout that recriminations have erupted among the various actors. When Pedro Sánchez warned that he would demand "accountability," the sector also defended itself. However, the European group of experts has six months to prepare a first report, although the final result won't be known until next year. The ministry, on the other hand, has three months, so it should present a document with the results by the end of July.

For its part, sources from Red Eléctrica indicate that "since May 1, the [system] operator has submitted all the required information regarding the incident." "All requests for information are being responded to in a timely manner," the same sources maintain.

Million-dollar claims

Regarding the expected millions in claims for the blackout, the potential victims (the electricity companies, but also Red Eléctrica as the system operator) are looking the other way. Corredor indicated that "the government has a 20 percent stake in the company's accounts. Knowing who was at fault for the incident will be key when it comes to addressing all these compensation claims, which are expected to lead to a legal battle.