Overview

• A massive blackout on April 28 left 55 million people in Spain and Portugal without electricity for over 10 hours, disrupting transportation, communications, and essential services.
• Investigations by Spanish authorities and Red Eléctrica Española (REE) have ruled out cyberattacks, with attention turning to cascading failures of two generators in Extremadura.
• The economic impact is estimated at €1.6–4.5 billion, with industries, supermarkets, and households suffering significant losses due to halted production and spoiled goods.
• The blackout has reignited debates over the Iberian Peninsula's energy transition, including the challenges of integrating renewables, phasing out nuclear power, and improving grid resilience.
• Experts highlight the Iberian grid's limited interconnections with Europe as a key vulnerability, amplifying the effects of sudden generation losses.