In an unprecedented event, Spain’s electricity network lost 15 gigawatts—equivalent to 60% of the country’s energy consumption at the time—within just five seconds. “Something that has never happened before,” declared Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in a late-night press conference from the Moncloa Palace around 11 PM local time.
Although the government has managed to restore power to “around 50% of the autonomous communities,” Sánchez warned that the country faces “a long night” ahead. Authorities have not yet provided a timeline for full recovery. “Red Eléctrica cannot guarantee a restoration timeframe at this moment, given the unprecedented nature of the incident,” the Prime Minister explained.
Specialists are still investigating the root cause, but so far no definitive answers have been found. Sánchez assured that “efforts will continue throughout the night” and expressed hope that normal electricity supply will be restored across the country by tomorrow.
This event marks one of the most serious power disruptions in Spain’s recent history, highlighting vulnerabilities in the grid and raising questions about resilience strategies for future energy security.