One year after Spain suffered its worst blackout in decades, experts warn the country remains vulnerable to a repeat event. The outage, which struck on 28 April 2024, plunged all of Spain and much of Portugal into darkness for days, causing widespread disruption and several deaths. While initial reports blamed solar power, subsequent investigations by pan-European grid operator ENTSO-E found the cause was a 'perfect storm' of governance failures related to voltage control.
Despite the blackout, Spain has accelerated its shift to renewables, adding 13.8 gigawatts of solar capacity in 2025 compared to 12.3 GW the previous year. However, the grid has struggled to integrate these sources, partly because regulations previously limited wind and solar from contributing to voltage stability. That changed only in April 2025, when new rules allowed renewables to provide voltage compensation services.
The blackout exposed Spain's lack of alternatives to gas for grid stability. In its aftermath, gas-fired power plants ran in 'reinforced mode' to help control voltage, leading to a temporary increase in fossil fuel use. But analysts say this was not a long-term solution. 'Spain lacked alternatives,' said Chris Rosslowe of energy thinktank Ember, pointing to insufficient battery storage and synchronous condensers that can stabilise the grid without emissions.
The situation is now more urgent due to the Middle East conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which have sent gas prices soaring. Spain has been partly insulated by its renewable investments—wholesale electricity prices would have been 40% higher without recent wind and solar growth, according to Oxford professor Jan Rosenow. But the risk of another blackout remains if voltage control measures are not fully implemented.
Carlos Condori, a 19-year-old construction worker caught in the 2024 outage, recalled the chaos: 'People were stunned because this had never happened in Spain. There's no coverage, I can't call my family.' As Spain marks one year since the crisis, the question is whether the grid is now resilient enough to withstand the next perfect storm.
