Spain’s Blackout Sparks Blame Game Between Grid Operator and Utilities Published: May 29, 2025 | By: Minener Staff Madrid — In the wake of the massive blackout that struck Spain on April 28, the country’s leading grid operator and utility companies are trading blame over the cause of the event. Beatriz Corredor, president of Redeia
Diana Furchtgott-Roth, energy adviser to former U.S. President Donald Trump, claims two solar plants were responsible for Spain’s April blackout and criticizes Europe’s reliance on renewables at a global intelligence forum in Madrid.
Spain currently stores around 7.6 GW of energy using pumped hydro, thermal tanks, and emerging battery systems. With a national goal of 22.5 GW by 2030, massive investments in storage—including vanadium flow batteries and solar thermal plants—are underway.
Two back-to-back power outages in southern France, including during the Cannes Film Festival, raise alarms over sabotage and weaknesses in the country’s critical energy infrastructure.
France faces a wave of coordinated power grid sabotage, with Nice and Cannes suffering major blackouts within 24 hours.
A fire of suspected criminal origin at a substation in southeastern France disrupted electricity for 160,000 homes, temporarily affecting the Cannes Film Festival.
A UK report alleges Spain’s April 28 blackout was caused by a failed renewable energy experiment. Madrid denies it. The EU is now investigating.
France expresses strong interest in co-financing mining and renewable energy infrastructure in Argentina’s San Juan province.
U.S. officials fear Chinese-made solar components may contain hidden kill switches, threatening national energy security and grid resilience.
Engie Chile’s $310M Libélula project will deliver 350 MW of clean energy using solar panels and lithium-ion batteries. It’s also Latin America’s first hybrid solar plant with low-carbon steel components.