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6h ago

Massive Power Outage Cripples Iberian Peninsula, Partial Restoration Underway

Spain, Portugal, and parts of France face widespread disruptions as authorities investigate potential causes, including cyberattacks.

Une sous-station électrique de la compagnie de distribution d’électricité Red Electrica de Espana, à San Sebastian de los Reyes, près de Madrid, en septembre 2021.
Les gens font leurs courses dans un supermarché, à Madrid, Espagne, le 28 avril 2025.
Des usagers du train attendent à la gare Joaquin Sorolla, après que des passagers ont été bloqués pendant une panne de courant qui a touché de grandes parties de l’Espagne, à Valence, le 28 avril 2025.
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Overview

  • An 11,000 MW drop in electricity supply caused a massive blackout across Spain, Portugal, and parts of southern France, paralyzing key infrastructure.
  • Transportation systems, including metros, railways, and airports, were disrupted, while traffic signals went offline, creating chaos on roads.
  • Red Eléctrica de España (REE) and REN activated emergency restoration plans, with France's RTE supplying 700 MW to assist and prepared to increase support to 950 MW.
  • Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez convened an emergency National Security Council meeting, while cybersecurity agency INCIBE investigates the possibility of a cyberattack.
  • Partial power restoration efforts are ongoing, but the root cause of the outage remains undetermined, prompting EU-level coordination and scrutiny of energy system vulnerabilities.