Formation of Technical Panel for Power Outage Investigation
Firing Up the Airwaves: A Deep Dive into the Unprecedented Power Outage
Luís Montenegro, speaking before the Council of Ministers, shed some light on the gravity of the issue at hand. This crisis, which left Portugal and Spain in the dark, wasn't birthed within Portugal's borders.
The meeting, taking place in São Bento, Lisbon, marked the second extraordinary session in just two days, unfolding after the catastrophic power outage that swept across the Iberian Peninsula on the 28th of April.
Montenegro declared the government would petition the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators to launch an independent audit of the electricity systems of the afflicted countries. The objective: to pinpoint the culprits that led to this mayhem.
He further announced the formation of an Independent Technical Commission in Portugal. This panel of experts would evaluate the crisis management, the resilience and recovery of the electrical system, the robustness of critical infrastructures, and the performance of key services, including communications and health systems.
The Commission would consist of an energy sector expert, an Communications Networks and Systems expert, an Civil Protection expert, a Health sector expert, and three individuals nominated by the Assembly of the Republic.
Following Montenegro's statement, the ministers of Presidency, Environment, Parliamentary Affairs, and Infrastructure exited the meeting, heading towards a parliamentary session called by the President of the Assembly of the Republic, José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, to discuss the matter with the political parties.
The Prime Minister added that the government wouldn't prolong or aggravate the declaration of an energy crisis, which was set to expire on the same day at 11:59 pm.
During the question phase, Montenegro acknowledged that the Commission would only come to life in the next legislature, given the upcoming early legislative elections on May 18th, but he was confident there would be sufficient time.
"We've got time," he stressed. "This Independent Technical Commission isn't about producing quick results in a jiffy. It's about delving deep into reaction mechanisms, crisis management, the electrical system's recovery, infrastructure's resilience, and the performance of critical services." He used the commission established after the 2017 fires as an example.
Montenegro ensured the Government's unwavering commitment to unraveling the mysteries behind the causes and responses of the recent events, expressing eagerness to assist European bodies in the audit process they were seeking.
The inquiry into the exact cause of the power outage is still ongoing. Preliminary investigations point to power fluctuations in the European grid in the hours leading up to the blackout[1][2][3].
The Spanish government, bracing itself for the immense task ahead, is carrying out an extensive investigation, sieving through millions of data points to zero in on the root cause of the failure[3]. Thus far, several initial hypotheses—like coverage, backup, or network size issues—have been ruled out[3].
The unexpected disruptions have sparked conversations about the reliance on renewable energy and the planned phase-out of nuclear power, scheduled for 2035[1]. With the Iberian Peninsula's power grid interconnected, partnership and collaboration between Spain and Portugal in their investigations and contingency planning are inevitable.
- The Portuguese government, in an effort to better understand the power outage, will petition the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators for an independent audit, focusing on the electricity systems of the affected countries.
- Montenegro announced the formation of an Independent Technical Commission in Portugal, comprising experts in the energy sector, communications networks and systems, civil protection, health sector, and three individuals nominated by the Assembly of the Republic, to evaluate crisis management, electrical system recovery, infrastructure resilience, and critical services performance.
- The discussions surrounding the power outage have brought forth discussions about the reliance on renewable energy and the planned phase-out of nuclear power in Portugal, which is scheduled for 2035, highlighting the importance of collaboration between Spain and Portugal in investigations and contingency planning.
