A few days before the first anniversary of the electrical blackout on April 28th, new details about its possible causes continue to emerge. This Friday, the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC) explained that it has initiated several sanctioning proceedings to determine the circumstances of the blackout. Thus, the regulatory body assures that, as a result of the investigations, "various indications of non-compliance" have been detected, some of which have been maintained for "prolonged periods of time," which could constitute administrative infractions.

The National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) has stated in its report that the massive blackout of April 28th of last year, which left the Iberian Peninsula in darkness for hours, could have been avoided. There were "legislative and regulatory tools available, as well as mechanisms to guarantee supplyThe supervisory body notes, although it considers it necessary to address improvements in the electricity system "to respond to the current needs of the system and provide it with greater robustness." The report does not point fingers at those responsible for the blackout and includes some improvements that could be introduced to improve the system's operation and prevent new incidents. Almost eleven months after the peninsular blackout, the regulator has published its advisory report, issued "without prejudice to any other actions that may be appropriate within the framework of the ongoing investigation into the incident." The report, prepared by a panel of European experts from ENTSO-E (the European regulators of electricity networks), proposes recommendations to strengthen the efficiency and resilience of the Spanish electricity system, based on the conclusions drawn from the incident investigation. The system is undergoing a transformation characterized by a high penetration of renewable generation, greater operational complexity, and increasing voltage volatility.

The agency emphasizes that the information gathered through specific requests and meetings held with the sector in working groups "has allowed for a deeper diagnosis of the current state of the electricity system and the measures needed to address it." As areas for improvement to meet the system's current needs and make it more robust, the CNMC sees a need to implement measures that "mitigate sudden changes in voltage"and also analyze the evolution of the other system parameters from the point of view of the impact they have on voltage variations."

]]>

The legal battle between Iberdrola and Redeia, the parent company of Red Eléctrica (REE), the system operator, over the massive blackout of April 28th of last year, has been reignited. A Madrid court has accepted the complaint for unfair competition filed by the electricity company chaired by Ignacio Sánchez Galán, alleging that Redeia, although not explicitly naming it, held it responsible for the blackout, according to reports. El País-Cinco Días And ARA has been able to confirm this.

]]>

The responsibility for the massive blackout of April 28th of last year remains unclear, but the major electricity companies have consistently pointed the finger at the Spanish electricity system operator, Red Eléctrica, and they reiterated this point on Thursday. During their appearance before the Senate committee investigating the events, the CEOs of Endesa and Iberdrola, José Bogas and Mario Ruiz-Tagle, respectively, again identified the system operator as solely responsible for the blackout that left the entire Iberian Peninsula without power. "It did not act with sufficient agility in forecasting, scheduling, or correcting the errors," stated Bogas of Endesa. Ruiz-Tagle, the Iberdrola executive, ruled out a "multifactorial" cause for the blackout and pointed to a "single" reason: "A planning error in the elements for controlling the voltage," he said, implicitly referring to Red Eléctrica (REE).

]]>

The four major energy companies listed on the Ibex 35, Iberdrola, Endesa, Naturgy, and Repsol, have just presented their results for the first nine months of the year, that is, between January and September. And although themassive power outage of April 28 It has had an impact on their accounts, but in one way or another they have managed to navigate the effects of the blackout that plunged the Iberian Peninsula into darkness, to the point that three of them (Iberdrola, Endesa, and Naturgy) expect to close 2025 with record profits. However, the businesses of the four companies are not the same, although some have more in common, as is the case with Iberdrola and Endesa. Therefore, the underlying reasons for how they have managed to avoid the impact are also different.

]]>

Last September, the Spanish electricity system operator, Red Eléctrica, recorded "sudden voltage fluctuations" in the electricity grid and asked the National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC) to approve a series of regulatory changes to strengthen the electricity system in the face of the possibility that these problems could impact the security of supply. However, Red Eléctrica assured that the anomalies recorded in September did not imply a risk of a massive power outage like the one on April 28, a statement echoed by the Association of Electric Power Companies (Aelec), the employers' association that brings together Iberdrola, Endesa, and EDP.

]]>

Iberdrola will take legal action against the president of Red Eléctrica España (REE), Beatriz Corredor, after she attributed the massive power outage of April 28 to the non-compliance of conventional groups. This was confirmed to Efe by legal sources and reported on Monday by the newspaper The World, the electricity company maintains that Corredor's statements on September 11 constitute an "attack on its honor," although the president of the Spanish electricity system operator did not mention the company at any time.

]]>

Major power companies are warning of grid saturation and advocating the need to invest to connect to the new demand. In fact, according to the capacity maps published this Tuesday by UFD (Naturgy) and the Association of Electric Power Companies (Aelec)—which includes Endesa, Iberdrola, and EDP Spain—83.4% of the nodes in the electricity distribution network are already saturated, and they are already saturated, and they are already saturated.

]]>

The appeal for "common sense and prudence" by Spanish government spokesperson Pilar Alegría on Tuesday afternoon, urging the Congress of Deputies to vote in favor of the energy decree to strengthen the electricity system, has served little purpose. The PP, Vox, UPN, and a good part of the investiture partners (Juntos, Podemos, and the BNG) have voted against it, highlighting, once again, Pedro Sánchez's weakness in the Spanish lower house and the instability that the current legislature has been immersed in for some time.

]]>

Amid the crossfire over responsibility for the massive power outage of April 28, Red Eléctrica, the operator of the Spanish electricity system, has confronted its shareholders, who were scheduled to participate in a new virtual general meeting on Monday, and has not hesitated to defend itself: "[On April 28] they will [company, Beatriz Corredor, who during her initial intervention of almost an hour reiterated that Red Eléctrica "rigorously" complied with the regulations.

]]>

In view of the general blackout on April 28 and after the several reports that have been derived to try to determine what caused the energy freeze, the Spanish government approved this Tuesday a royal decree law with measures to strengthen the electricity system, which includes inspections of operators required to monitor grid voltage, as well as aid for consumers. Third Vice President and Minister of Energy Transition, Sara Aagensen, explained that the objective of these initiatives is to achieve a "more robust and solvent" system with significant benefits, such as more stable and predictable bills for citizens.

]]>

The electricity companies' association Aelec, which includes Iberdrola, Endesa and EDP Spain, pointed this Monday to "poor management" by Red Eléctrica as the main cause of the massive blackout on April 28. A report by the association, prepared by Inesc Tec and Compass Lexecon with data from its members – who represent 45% of the installed capacity and 78% of the distribution networks – warns of "poor programming of conventional generation", such as nuclear, combined cycle gas, coal and large hydroelectric plants.

]]>

One day after the Spanish government committee's report on the massive power blackout was made public, the system operator, Red Eléctrica, presented its conclusions. The shadow of responsibility, or at least part of it, for what happened on April 28th still hangs over it. (Power lines, transformers, stations, etc.) It also published a report detailing what happened that caused the Iberian Peninsula to be without power for so many hours. However, the operator has made it clear that the investigation was conducted without all the information and points the finger directly at the major power companies. "All the information received from third parties was of the desired quality and was not sufficiently complete," said Red Eléctrica president Beatriz Corredor at a press conference on Wednesday.

]]>

Redeia, the parent company of Red Eléctrica de España and 20% controlled by the State through SEPI, has proposed the incorporation of Albert Castellanos, close to the ERC (Republic of Catalonia) and former Secretary of Business and Competitiveness during the Pere Aragonès government. Redeia has called a general shareholders' meeting for June 30th -with the massive blackout still as a background-, at which it will also propose, in addition to Castellanos, the entry of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the first government of Pedro Sánchez, Arancha González Laya, as a proprietary director (at the proposal of Fabra, former director of Enagás until the last meeting of the company, as an independent director.

]]>

The blackout on Monday, April 28, was a gray swan event. It was an unexpected event that made us aware of our enormous dependence on electricity, but it was on the radar as a possibility. The electricity grid operator itself, Red Eléctrica de España (REE), declared the blackout exceptional and completely extraordinary, but in February, in its parent company Redeia's annual report to the National Securities Market Commission, it had already warned investors that the high penetration of renewable energy (in 2024) in the grid would affect the electricity supply. According to REE, this was a probable risk in the short and medium term that would lead to an imbalance between generation and demand. Furthermore, in 2023, REE itself and the National Commission on Markets and Competition had already warned of a risk of a blackout due to overvoltage (with a greater energy flow than the transmission grid can handle). Furthermore, REE had indicated that it did not have sufficient tools to prevent grid tensions. Well, ruling out a cyberattack, this appears to be what happened on April 28th, shortly after 12:30 p.m., when photovoltaic plants were disconnected, causing the frequency to drop below 50 Hz and increasing voltage, destabilizing the grid. The firewalls didn't work, and France disconnected shortly after. The result was a "fuse trip," and 15 gigawatts of generation (approximately 60% of the electricity being consumed) were suddenly lost.

]]>

While citizens are still waiting for precise explanations about the causes of the blackout, the Congress of Deputies experienced a shameful government oversight session this Wednesday. The People's Party (PP), obsessed with recovering the stifling atmosphere of the end of Felipe González's administration, brandished the WhatsApp messages between Pedro Sánchez and José Luis Ábalos that it has been publishing these days. The World as if they were a summary piece of evidence, when in reality they are pure gossip. No, the messages do not prove any malpractice or corruption in the Spanish government's bailout of Air Europa. This is a testament to how destructive the Ábalos case could be for the PSOE.

]]>

The maze of the April 28th power outage appears to be beginning to unravel. On the one hand, the beginning of the incident is now defined in the provinces of Granada, Badajoz, and Seville—a few days ago, the Spanish government already focused on the southwest of the country. On the other hand, it has been ruled out that the Spanish electricity system operator, Red Eléctrica, suffered a cyberattack. Both conclusions were anticipated this Wednesday by the Third Vice President and Minister of Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, during her appearance in the Congress of Deputies to account for the electrical incident that For hours it left the entire Iberian Peninsula without supplies.

]]>

The Generalitat (Catalan Government) is considering incorporating key services and infrastructure, such as railway operators and some oil and electricity companies, into the RESCAT network, its emergency and security radio communications system. The goal is to ensure internal (within the services themselves) and external (with Civil Protection) contact. in case an emergency is declared that compromises conventional communication networks. According to ARA, this is one of the measures on the table by Salvador Illa's government to provide an integrated response that guarantees the continuity of strategic services in "situations of widespread failure," such as the one caused two weeks ago by the general blackout on the Iberian Peninsula.

]]>

Maru, 67, and her husband, Josep Manel, 68, had left home in the morning to go to the doctor. It was Monday, April 28, and the major blackout caught them leaving the hospital. They live in a nine-story penthouse in the Sant Andreu neighborhood, and Maru has been using an electric wheelchair since her accident in 2013. The elevator wasn't working, and they were forced to "walk around," eat something in a park, and wait. They waited until six in the evening, when they saw a Barcelona Fire Department vehicle and called for help. "Right at that moment, we were helping a person with reduced mobility get into their home," says Fire Department Corporal Yago Abad Galcerán.

]]>

The appearance of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Congress to explain the April 28th power outage and the increase in defense and security investment was completely disappointing. In reality, neither the government offered any explanations beyond what we all already knew, namely, that it will still take a long time to know exactly what caused the widespread power outage, nor did the opposition offer any compelling arguments beyond embracing a discourse somewhere between catastrophic and apocalyptic, which also doesn't match reality.

]]>