Iberian Blackout: Europe points the finger at renewables and… grid operators. A disaster waiting to happen?

It took months, but the verdict, albeit preliminary, has finally arrived. And it's not at all flattering. Europe, through ENTSO-e (the body that brings together electricity transmission grid operators), has published its first report on the colossal blackout that shut down the Iberian Peninsula on April 28, leaving nearly 60 million citizens in Spain and Portugal without power for over 15 hours. An "unprecedented" event, the root causes of which are still partly shrouded in mystery, but which is now beginning to be shed light on. And the light doesn't paint a pretty picture.

The fault? A lethal mix of the enormous, and perhaps unbalanced, production of renewable energy and grid management that, under stress, appears to have done more harm than good.

Chronicle of a Collapse in 60 Seconds

The report from the independent expert group describes a rapid sequence of events, almost an unstoppable domino effect. April 28th was a day of high renewable generation in Spain, so much so that it lowered prices and pushed exports to France to full capacity (5 GW). Then, between 12:32 and 12:33, disaster struck. In a matter of seconds, over 2.5 GW of generation plants in various Spanish regions went offline.

Here is the chain of events:

• Massive disconnection: Photovoltaic, solar thermal, and wind power plants in several areas (Granada, Badajoz, Seville, Segovia) have been disconnected from the grid.
• Uncertain causes: While the overvoltage protection has tripped in some systems, the cause of the disconnection remains unknown for many others.
• Immediate effect: The sudden loss of this distributed generation disrupted the control system, causing a sudden and violent increase in tension throughout the Iberian grid.

And here the situation, if anything, worsens. The corrective measures implemented by Red Eléctrica, the Spanish grid operator, instead of stabilizing the system, had the opposite effect to the desired one, adding fuel to the fire. The Entso-e report is quite clear: "The measures adopted by Red Eléctrica […] contributed to increasing grid voltage." The disconnections of the systems, which absorbed reactive power and thus stabilized the voltage, were not adequately compensated for, causing an escalation of the overvoltage.

At 12:33:19, the connection to the European grid was severed. A few seconds later, at 12:33:24, the power systems of Spain and Portugal collapsed. Game over.

A “safe” system, yes to going into blackout

Perhaps the most worrying part of the report is the admission that all the preventive analyses conducted by the Regional Coordination Centers had not identified any risks to the system's security. The situation was considered "stable." This episode demonstrates, with almost didactic brutality, how current models struggle to predict rapid and complex events, precisely those linked to the massive penetration of renewable energy we all hope for.

Restoring service was a long and complex process, requiring the creation of "power islands" and the support of interconnections with France and Morocco. But the report highlights another problem, uniquely Spanish: the lack of cooperation from some private operators, who refused to share crucial technical data, forcing inspectors into a lengthy and frustrating process of gathering information.

The Transport & Environment association is rubbing its teeth: in Spain, little investment has been made in grid stability, making it vulnerable to the rapid growth of solar and wind power. Short-term technical solutions exist (synchronous compensators, stabilizers), but in the long run, simply installing more poles and cables won't be enough. "Clean flexibility" solutions will be needed, ones that are smarter and, perhaps, even more convenient for consumers.

The final report, expected in early 2026, will assign definitive responsibilities. But the first message is already loud and clear: the energy transition, without an equally massive and intelligent upgrade of grid infrastructure, risks leaving us, literally, in the dark.

Questions and Answers for our readers

1. So is renewable energy to blame for the blackout? Not exactly. The problem isn't renewable energy itself, but the management of a power grid with a very high and growing percentage of non-programmable sources like solar and wind. The report highlights that the collapse was triggered by the sudden shutdown of many plants, but exacerbated by an inadequate response from the grid operator. The green transition requires not only new generation facilities, but also massive investments in grid stability, storage, and intelligence to manage these new dynamics and avoid similar fragilities.

2. Who will pay for this disaster and what will the consequences be? The current report is still preliminary and does not assign legal responsibility. However, it clearly highlights the actions of Red Eléctrica, the Spanish utility, and the lack of cooperation from some private producers. The final report, due in 2026, will contain binding recommendations and could lead to fines for operators found responsible, as well as a thorough review of grid safety regulations at the European level. Unfortunately, as always, the costs risk being passed on in part to end consumers through tariffs.

3. Could a similar event happen in Italy? The risk exists for any electricity grid undergoing a rapid transition to renewables. Italy, like Spain, is significantly increasing its solar and wind capacity. Our grid operator, Terna, is aware of the challenges and is investing in projects to increase the system's flexibility and stability (such as synchronous compensators and storage systems). However, the Iberian incident is a warning to everyone: the speed of the transition must be accompanied by adequate planning and infrastructure investments to avoid compromising the security of the entire national electricity system.

The article " Iberian Blackout: Europe Points the Finger at Renewables and… Grid Operators. A Disaster foretold? " comes from Scenari Economici .

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This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/blackout-iberico-leuropa-punta-il-dito-su-rinnovabili-e-gestori-di-rete-un-disastro-annunciato/ on Fri, 03 Oct 2025 14:31:02 +0000.