Heed Spain's net zero alert of potential power outages

Revised Output:

entitled "The Perils of Spain's Green Obsession: A Cautionary Tale"

### Itxu Diaz

published on ** June 28, 2025**

World

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The scenes were chaotic. On Monday, April 28, at 12:30 PM, Spain and Portugal found themselves in sudden darkness. Modern life ground to a halt, as one of the worst power outages in European history unfolded. Electricity wasn't restored across Spain until 10 hours later, in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Some regions faced outages lasting up to 18 hours. Even when the grid lit up again, calls were difficult to make, and the internet was spotty in many areas of central Spain.

Nearly two months later, the Spanish government finally offered an explanation for the outages. A report released last week blamed the grid operator and private energy providers for miscalculating power needs that day. Yet, the underlying issue remains unaddressed—namely, Spain's dangerous dependence on unreliable wind and solar power. In fact, at the time of the blackout, renewables accounted for 70% of Spain's electricity generation.

As part of its Net Zero plans, the Spanish government has promised to produce 81% of electricity from renewables by 2030. In recent years, wind and solar have expanded while gas power plants have shut down, and nuclear phase-out is planned—all without addressing the consequences. Energy experts have long warned that overhauling the electricity grid would be necessary to make this feasible, but Spain has ignored dissenting voices in its rush to meet targets.

Warnings of disaster were aplenty. In 2021, the European Resource Adequacy Assessment, which monitors power systems across the continent, called for incentives to keep traditional power plants open, fearing their closure would jeopardize Spain's electricity supply. The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity published a report in February, claiming the risk of blackouts would increase significantly between 2026 and 2028—the same period the Almaraz nuclear power plant in Western Spain is scheduled to shut down.

Red Electrica de Espana, the national grid operator (heavily owned by the Spanish government), dismissed these concerns, posting on social media just 20 days before the system went dark that "There is no risk of a blackout."

While the Spanish government continues to blame the April blackout on a single error, the truth is that its entire energy policy is to blame. There's no indication Spain will learn from its mistakes. The country persists in its hasty shift toward renewables and away from fossil fuels and nuclear, leading Portugal to sever ties with Spain's grid for over a week after the blackout and France to remain on high alert for the next outage.

There's another hidden truth the Spanish government wants to conceal. Spain's partial restoration of electricity on April 29 was only possible thanks to nuclear energy imported from France. Yet, Spain is committed to phasing out all nuclear power plants by 2035, despite nuclear's reliability and ability to produce carbon-free electricity.

Rumors swirl that Spain may have conducted an experiment before the system crashed in April. If true, this would not only shatter the public's already dwindling trust in the government but also in its reckless green policies.

The April blackout should have served as a wake-up call, but Spain shows no signs of changing course. We've been warned.

The Spanish government's rush to meet its Net Zero plans, including producing 81% of electricity from renewables by 2030, ignores the need for an overhaul of the electricity grid.
A renewable-energy industry that relies heavily on wind and solar power, without proper grid adjustments, runs the risk of energy shortages and blackouts, as witnessed in the case of Spain's unprecedented power outage.
In the wake of Spain's blackout, discussions around cancel culture have been overshadowed by the government's dismissal of warnings from energy experts about the risks of blackouts and the reliance on traditional power plants to maintain grid stability.
The finance industry faces potential impacts from Spain's green obsession, as persisting with reckless renewable energy policies could lead to crippling energy shortages, damaging the overall economic stability of the country.