Spain says April blackout was caused by grid failures and poor planning, not a cyberattack

Spain's government confirmed Tuesday that a major blackout in April stemmed from technical missteps, not sabotage. The power outage, which affected both Spain and Portugal, left tens of millions in the dark and disrupted essential services.

Ecological Transition Minister Sara Aagesen addressed the press with new findings. She explained that a voltage surge triggered a chain of small grid failures. These faults quickly cascaded across the Iberian Peninsula, resulting in one of the largest power losses in Spain’s history.

“All of this happened in 12 seconds, with most of the power loss happening in just five seconds,” Aagesen said.

The outage began shortly after noon on April 28 and lasted until early the next day. The disruption affected businesses, transportation, mobile networks, and internet services. Spain lost nearly 15 gigawatts of electricity—roughly 60% of its total supply. Portugal, which shares an interconnected grid with Spain, also experienced widespread outages. Island regions remained unaffected.

Officials ruled out cyberattacks or foreign sabotage. According to Aagesen, Spain’s national security agencies found no evidence of interference. The findings appeared in a government report released Tuesday, 49 days after the blackout.

Several planning and technical flaws emerged as key causes. Aagesen pointed to “poor planning” by Red Eléctrica, Spain’s grid operator. The company failed to replace a power plant designated to stabilize voltage fluctuations. Additionally, some utilities shut down power plants preemptively during the disruption. Those units, Aagesen noted, could have stayed online to help balance the system.

The blackout’s impact raised concerns across the country. Citizens and energy experts questioned whether Spain’s reliance on renewable energy played a role in the failure. Some critics argued the country needs more energy from nuclear and gas sources.

But the government disagreed.

Spain generated almost 57% of its electricity in 2024 from renewable sources, including wind, solar, and hydropower. The country has also committed to phasing out its nuclear power plants. Officials say these policies did not cause the grid collapse.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defended the nation’s energy strategy. “We will not deviate a single millimeter,” he said, urging the public to stay patient and trust the country’s long-term goals.

Spain plans to generate 81% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. The government insists the April blackout was not a result of these plans but rather of preventable technical mismanagement.

In recent years, Spain has led Europe in its transition to clean energy. As the country moves forward, officials say they are reviewing how to prevent future grid failures.

“This was not a renewable issue. It was a planning issue,” Aagesen said.

The official report will guide new safety protocols and grid adjustments. Red Eléctrica has not yet commented in detail but acknowledged the government's assessment.

For now, the focus remains on preventing another rapid cascade like the one seen in April. The government emphasized coordination between utilities, better contingency planning, and stronger oversight.

As Aagesen concluded, “We must ensure that technical failures don’t jeopardize the energy transition we’ve worked so hard to build.”

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