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 (formerly Red Eléctrica de España, REE), stated that conventional generators—such as hydroelectric, nuclear, and combined cycle plants—were absorbing less reactive power than required by regulations at the time of the incident. She emphasized that REE, as the system operator, followed all established protocols.

Speaking at the CREO Forum organized by Cinco Días, Corredor explained: “These power plants did not fulfill their mandatory voltage control requirements. When the system operator ran its security protocols, it assumed all generators were operating within expected parameters.”

This misalignment, according to Corredor, triggered a voltage drop that led to the disconnection of multiple generators as a safety measure. This then escalated into the loss of the interconnection with France and a broader collapse of the power system.

Despite the severity of the incident, Corredor stressed that Spain’s transmission backbone remained stable. “There was no failure in the transmission grid, no shortage of reserves or synchronous power. Voltage levels were within acceptable limits. The system was restored within ten minutes through more than 5,000 remote-controlled operations—all successful,” she noted.

Utilities Push Back

Mario Ruiz-Tagle, CEO of Iberdrola España, countered these claims, asserting that utility companies felt “singled out” from the start. “We are being blamed as if the fault lies with generation or distribution, when in fact the system operator holds the sole and exclusive responsibility for the grid’s integrity,” he said at the same forum.

Ruiz-Tagle pointed to overvoltage issues as the root cause, arguing that “managing such phenomena is the responsibility of the grid operator, not generators.”

Renewables Not to Blame

Corredor also dismissed the notion that excessive renewable energy generation contributed to the blackout. “Renewables were not the problem,” she said, adding that REE operates with complete neutrality: “We do not generate electricity nor participate in market pricing. This gives us the independence to manage system security without conflict of interest.”

She reiterated Redeia’s commitment to factual accuracy and transparency: “We stand by the data—hard evidence recorded by the system. That is our commitment.”

For more on Spain’s energy infrastructure and blackout events, read: France’s Blackouts Raise Questions About Grid Resilience and Trump Adviser Blames Renewables for Spanish Blackout.