Power Restored Across Iberian Peninsula After Major Outage
MADRID — Authorities in Spain and Portugal continue investigating the cause of a major blackout that disrupted millions across the Iberian Peninsula on Monday, even as power was nearly fully restored by early Tuesday.
Spain’s grid operator, Red Eléctrica, reported that by 7 a.m., over 99% of the country’s energy demand had been recovered. Portuguese grid operator REN confirmed that all 89 of its substations were back online, restoring power to 6.4 million customers.
The outage had a significant impact, halting flights, shutting metro systems, disabling ATMs, and interrupting mobile communications across both countries.
Government Prioritizes Recovery and Investigation
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez emphasized that restoring the nation’s electrical infrastructure and uncovering the causes of the blackout are top government priorities. The failure caused a sudden loss of 15 gigawatts of power—roughly 60% of Spain’s national demand—within five seconds.
Officials have yet to identify a definitive cause. Spain’s meteorological agency AEMET reported no unusual weather patterns during the event, and Portugal’s National Cybersecurity Center ruled out cyberattack concerns. European officials, including European Council President António Costa and European Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera, also dismissed sabotage as a factor.
Nonetheless, Ribera acknowledged that the blackout was “one of the most serious episodes recorded in Europe in recent times.”
Disruptions to Transportation and Events
Public transportation systems gradually resumed operations by Tuesday. Madrid’s subway system was fully restored by mid-morning, while commuter services in Barcelona continued facing electrical instability, leading to suspended or reduced operations on some lines.
Emergency crews reported rescuing approximately 35,000 passengers stranded on trains and underground systems during the outage. Sports centers, train stations, and airports served as temporary shelters for many travelers.
At Madrid’s Atocha station, hundreds waited overnight, assisted by Red Cross personnel distributing blankets. Similar scenes occurred at Barcelona’s Sants station.
The Madrid Open tennis tournament also resumed Tuesday, following the postponement of 22 matches due to the blackout. Notably, second-ranked Iga Swiatek advanced to the quarterfinals.
Looking Ahead
As daily life in Spain and Portugal continues to normalize, authorities remain focused on identifying the exact cause of the blackout to prevent future disruptions. Updates from energy and cybersecurity agencies are expected as investigations proceed.
