Spain rejects claims that power grid 'experiment' triggered blackout
2 Min Read
Spanish authorities have rejected claims that a government-run energy experiment caused the April 28 blackout affecting Spain and Portugal, insisting the outage was not linked to renewables and is still under investigation.
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Tourists take snapshots in the Puerta del Sol square in downtown Madrid, Spain, Monday, April 29, 2024 (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Spanish officials have firmly denied reports alleging that a government-run test on the national power grid was responsible for the massive blackout that disrupted life across the Iberian Peninsula on April 28.
The British newspaper The Telegraph reported last Friday, citing anonymous sources in Brussels, that the Spanish government was "conducting an experiment before the system crashed," supposedly testing the limits of renewable energy integration ahead of the country's planned nuclear energy phase-out beginning in 2027. According to the report, the government "seems to have pushed the pace recklessly, before making the necessary investments in a sophisticated 21st-century smart grid capable of handling it."
In response, Ecological Transition Minister Sara Aagesen flatly dismissed the claim when questioned in parliament. "It is false, totally false, that the government carried out any sort of experiment on the grid prior to the outage," she said. "It is irresponsible to assign blame while the cause of the blackout remains under investigation. And it is equally irresponsible to claim that the government was conducting experiments."
Grid Disruption
The blackout, which affected telecommunications, disrupted public transport, and left large parts of Spain and Portugal without power, has prompted ongoing investigations into its cause. Despite widespread speculation, the source of the outage has not yet been officially determined.
Beatriz Corredor, head of Spain's electricity grid operator REE, also addressed the issue in an interview published Wednesday by La Vanguardia. "There was no excess of renewable energy" on the day of the outage, she stated. "There were no short circuits, overloads or cyberattacks on the grid."
Instead, she indicated that the issue may have been related to how conventional energy producers, including those operating gas, nuclear, and hydroelectric plants, managed the system's voltage. "Producers of 'conventional' energy such as gas, nuclear, and hydro plants failed to properly regulate voltage," she said, although she did not confirm whether this contributed directly to the blackout.
The government maintains that speculation about the cause is premature and urges patience as the investigation continues.
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