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Iberian Blackout Restores 99% Power as Authorities Investigate Unprecedented Failure

Spain and Portugal recover electricity but face ongoing transport disruptions, with specialists probing causes behind the sudden 15 GW outage.

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Overview

  • Spanish grid operator REE reports 99.16% power restoration as of April 29, though Madrid's metro remains fully closed and three regional trains are still stranded.
  • Approximately 35,000 passengers were rescued from stranded trains, and 344 out of 6,000 scheduled flights were canceled during the blackout's peak impact.
  • Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the event as unprecedented and confirmed an open-ended investigation into potential causes, including rare atmospheric conditions, grid stability issues, or cyber sabotage.
  • The Spanish and Portuguese governments declared emergencies, with Spain activating level 3 Civil Protection in eight regions and Portugal declaring a state of energy crisis.
  • Spain's Council of Ministers plans to release three days of strategic petroleum reserves to stabilize critical services, while cross-border energy interconnections with France and Morocco aided recovery.