The employees stand inside a supermarket without lights in Burgos on April 28, 2025, during a massive energy reduction affecting the entire Iberian Peninsula and the South of France.
Cesar Mananso | AFP | Getty images
A catastrophic power failure affecting a large part of Spain, Portugal and the South of France gave the role of renewable energies and energy security under the spotlight.
A brutal and widespread power failure, one of the worst of the living memory of Europe, affected the entire Iberian peninsula on April 28.
The breakdown, which lasted several hours, plunged a large part of the region in the darkness, blocked thousands of train passengers and left millions without telephone or internet coverage or access to money from automatic ticket distributors.
The Spanish authorities have since launched several investigations to determine the deep cause of the incident, including an investigation to find out if a cyber attack could be to blame.
Alongside the Spanish opposition parties, some external observers have reported renewable energies And Targets for net-zero emissions Like the possible reasons for the breakdown, in particular the share of Spain and Portugal, both rest on high levels of wind and solar energy for their electrical network.
“It's very sad to see what happened to Portugal and Spain and so many people there, but you know, when you reach your cart at the weather, it's just a risky business,” said American energy secretary Chris Wright, said to “CNBC lunch” on April 28.
The Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the operator of the Red Electrica de Espana (REE) country network both declared that the record renewable energy levels were not at fault for the breakdown.
People queue during a bus stop at Cibeles Square in downtown Madrid, the metro and the trains are completely out of service due to a huge power failure in Spain, April 28, 2025.
Thomas Coxy | AFP | Getty images
The European Union energy chief Dan Jorgensen, on the other hand, said that there was “nothing unusual” in energy sources providing electricity to the system at the time of the breakdown.
“Thus, the causes of the power failure cannot be reduced to a specific energy source, for example renewable energies,” he added.
“Europe needs more energy”
European energy technology companies have called on observers to refrain from drawing their own conclusions in the absence of a formal explanation of the authorities.
Henrik Andersen, CEO of the Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestassaid he would encourage “a degree of state” on the power failure, especially since Spanish decision -makers continue to investigate.
“First of all, energy security means that you can manage companies without having breakdowns.
“Everyone seizes rapid deep causes and blamed themselves, and I simply do not want to go because until we know the deep cause of the reason why the grids can fail through Spain and Portugal, do not guess or try to blame someone with cybersecurity or blame individual energy sources,” he added.
“Europe needs more energy – and we probably also need a stronger grid. This goes without saying,” said Andersen.
Siemens Energy CEO Christian Bruch, on the other hand, said that the German energy technology group was talks with relevant transmission operators and public services.
“What you see is that when you build an energy system, you have to think about generation, such as solar energy, wind, gas, whatever, but you must also think about how the global system on the grid side (working and how you stabilize,” Bruch told CNBC on Thursday.
Solar panels on the Cupra SA seat factory in Martorell, Spain, Thursday, March 13, 2025.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty images
“This is sometimes underestimated in its complexity, and that is why the products of us for network stabilizations are in demand at the moment to balance these things,” he continued.
“It is possible to resolve it, but it will require investments and it is not easy. It's not just a few solar cells and certain batteries. It is a little more complex than it,” said Bruch.
“ Money suddenly becomes really important ''
For people in the field at the time of the breakdown, the lack of power highlighted the challenges of a digital company.
“The money suddenly becomes really important,” Roseanna, a resident of the Spanish city in the south of the Spanish of Málaga, told CNBC. She said that she had only 40 euros ($ 45.16) available when the power dropped just afternoon.
“Obviously, you cannot get money and you cannot pay with a card, so it's certainly important to have a little money in your pocket at any time,” she continued.
“We have become all digital, but the system is ruined if there is no electricity,” said Roseanna.
– CNBC Karen Gilchrist contributed to this report.
