A prominent nuclear operator has blamed Spain’s energy policy and its stance on nuclear power for worsening the massive blackout that swept across Spain and Portugal this Monday, leaving millions without electricity for nearly 12 hours.
Alfredo García Martínez, known on social media as Operador Nuclear, criticized Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government for maintaining only 50% of nuclear capacity operational during the incident. Speaking on the Spanish TV show Todo es mentira, García stated:
“If we had operated at 100% nuclear capacity, the issue could have been resolved much earlier. The nuclear plants were running on self-supply mode.”
García, a nuclear science communicator, made these remarks in direct response to Sánchez’s statements earlier that day. The Spanish Prime Minister had claimed that nuclear power had been a “problem rather than a solution,” arguing that significant power had to be rerouted to stabilize the grid when nuclear stations were shut down.
“There was nuclear generation active just before the collapse and it shut down like everything else. It was not more resilient,” Sánchez had said during a press conference at La Moncloa.
But García wasn’t convinced:
“I don’t know if he was misinformed or deliberately lying. Either way, it reflects an alarming ignorance about how nuclear plants operate.”
He also pointed fingers at Red Eléctrica, the operator of Spain’s transmission grid, accusing it of authorizing the nuclear shutdowns that may have exacerbated the blackout:
“Red Eléctrica bears significant responsibility. The government is trying to shield them, likely due to its public stake in the company, but it’s doing more harm than good.”
Adding to the controversy, García recalled that just 20 days ago, Red Eléctrica publicly dismissed the possibility of a large-scale blackout — a claim that now appears misguided:
“Some public statements age poorly. And this one aged very quickly.”
As the blackout’s causes remain under investigation, the debate over Spain’s energy mix is heating up. Calls to reassess the country’s nuclear strategy are growing, especially in light of recent instability in the European grid.
With speculation about a potential cyberattack still unresolved, García’s comments underscore a broader concern: Spain may be underprepared for future energy shocks if ideological positions continue to shape technical decisions.