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April 28 Blackout Leaves 55 Million Without Power in Spain, Portugal; Authorities Probe Cyberattack, Grid Failures

31 posts • GPT (4.1)

Updated May 12, 2025, 09:23 AM

BLK

On April 28, 2025, a widespread and abrupt power outage struck the Iberian Peninsula, affecting Spain, Portugal, and parts of southern France. The blackout lasted several hours and left up to 55 million people without electricity, caused a loss of 15 gigawatts of production, and disrupted train and metro services.

Authorities in Spain and Portugal have launched multiple investigations into the cause of the outage, including a probe into a potential cyberattack. Early analyses point to a series of technical incidents and cascading disconnections in the grid, but the precise cause remains undetermined.

The incident has raised questions about the stability of energy systems during the transition to renewables. While some observers and opposition parties have questioned the role of wind and solar energy, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the national grid operator, Red Electrica de Espana (REE), have stated that record renewable energy generation was not responsible for the blackout. EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen also indicated there was nothing unusual in the energy mix at the time.

The blackout exposed vulnerabilities in the Iberian energy grid, including the limited 3% interconnection with France. Portuguese Environment and Energy Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho noted that the recovery, which took about 10 hours in Portugal, would have been faster with more robust cross-border connections. Both Iberian governments are pressing for increased European support to strengthen these links.

Major Spanish utilities such as Iberdrola, Endesa, and Naturgy are urging regulators and the government to increase funding for network upgrades and to ensure adequate compensation for gas-fired backup plants. The incident has also highlighted issues with cash access and digital payments, as millions lost access to ATMs and card services during the outage.

Investigations into the root cause of the incident are ongoing.

More breaking stories on DeepNewz — updated live.

Chang Frick

@ChangFrick

The power outage in Spain could even happen here. I think it is important that we hammer in the understanding of swing mass in the electrical system and why plannable power is a prerequisite for a functioning power grid. Right now, we are spending a lot of money and resources on countering the negative effects of

Human Spaceflight

@esaspaceflight

💡 Back to light. 👀 A space POV: the blackout in Spain and Portugal into the night, captured by @NASA polar satellites. ⚡️ Though electricity was restored to most areas by evening, some regions remained in darkness until early morning. ✨ On a cloudless night, the stars https://t.co/LlMxAIvu8C

Il Fatto Quotidiano

@fattoquotidiano

The blackout in Spain and the nuclear lobby against renewables. The hoax: 'Too green'. The underlying cause is still unknown, but the problem is the lack of investment in network stability. By Marco Palombi https://t.co/mYd2OtiXLn

EL PAÍS

@el_pais

🔊 #HoyenELPAÍS | Nuclear versus renewable: which side are we interested in being on? Although the cause of the blackout is still unknown, the incident has marked a turning point in the debate over the energy model https://t.co/WHjPXKxGha https://t.co/we4RraFlXO

Camus

@newstart_2024

Europe’s Wake-Up Call: The Iberian Blackout Exposes the Fragile Reality of Renewable Energy Overreach On April 28, 2025, Spain, Portugal, and parts of France, Germany, Italy, and Andorra plunged into darkness as a massive blackout crippled the Iberian Peninsula—one of Europe’s https://t.co/UVVYnzwwwy

#Iberian Peninsula #Spain #Portugal #France #Spanish #Pedro Sanchez #Red Electrica de Espana #REE #EU Energy #Dan Jorgensen #Iberian #Portuguese Environment #Energy #Maria da Graça Carvalho #European #Iberdrola #Endesa #Naturgy