Spain's Minister Discusses Investigation into Major Power Outage

Sunday 04 May 2025 - 12:34

By: Zahouani Ilham

Spain's Minister Discusses Investigation into Major Power Outage

Spain's Minister for Ecological Transition has warned that it will take "many days" to determine the cause of the massive power outage that impacted the Iberian Peninsula. The event occurred nearly a week ago, and while the investigation is ongoing, the minister hinted at the possibility of an initial malfunction originating from photovoltaic installations. She stressed the complexity of the electrical system, which could require extensive time to analyze.

The minister stated that "all hypotheses remain open," including the possibility of a "cyberattack." However, when repeatedly asked about the role renewable energy sources might have played, the minister acknowledged the potential for an issue with photovoltaic installations in southwestern Spain, an idea already suggested by the Spanish electricity grid operator (REE). Still, she cautioned against jumping to conclusions, as the specific installations that failed are yet to be identified.

Despite these considerations, the minister firmly rejected the notion that renewable energy sources were inherently dangerous. She emphasized that blaming them for the incident was an oversimplification, and such an approach was "irresponsible and simplistic."

Experts in the field have raised concerns about a potential imbalance between electricity supply and demand, particularly with the increasing reliance on wind and solar energy. Such imbalances could have contributed to the system's collapse, but the minister highlighted that Spain has long had a diverse energy mix, and the system has functioned well in the past under similar conditions.

Renewable energy, she stressed, has played a key role in making Spain more energy independent, especially in a geopolitically uncertain world.