Overview

• The cascade began milliseconds after 12:32:57 near Granada, triggering stepwise shutdowns of generation across Spain and Portugal and briefly affecting a small part of France.
• ENTSO-E labels the April 28 disturbance the most significant event in Europe’s power system in more than two decades and documents the sequence in a 264-page fact report.
• Specialists state that the precise root cause remains under investigation, with final findings and mitigation guidance expected in the first quarter of 2026.
• EU officials say the analysis underscores new challenges for a reliable, resilient energy system as they call for coordinated action across the bloc.
• Austria’s grid operator APG and its economy ministry cite the episode as a wake-up call, pointing to outdated plant connection rules in Spain that were ill-suited to a renewable-heavy mix.