CNN
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Electricity is pulsating Spain and Portugal again after knocking out a massive outage in both countries on Monday. I also have questions.
What caused the sudden, incredible blackout remains unknown, and we have entered a life that has paralyzed tens of millions of people on the Iberian Peninsula.
Authorities are investigating whether extraordinary events, cyberattacks or other causes are responsible while airports and train stations are catching up to the huge backlog.
This is what you need to know.
The Spanish electric grid was operating normally until 12:33pm (6:33am ET).
Eduardo Prieto, the service director for grid operator Red Electrica, said the grid recovered after that initial shock. However, the second disconnection after one and a half caused the system to “deteriorate operating variables”, leading to “large generation disconnection” and “disconnection of the connection line with France.”
Within seconds, 15 gigawatts of energy suddenly fell from Spanish supply, Spanish government sources told CNN that it amounted to 60% of the electricity that was being consumed at the time – and as a result the entire Spanish grid collapsed.
“Two and a half seconds may not seem like that. Certainly, that’s not what human behavior is. It’s a very long time in the world of electricity,” Prieto said Tuesday.
This is an important question that tens of millions of people in Spain and Portugal have been asking. And we don’t know the answer.
Past blackouts in Europe often have obvious causes, such as fires and extreme weather. However, the event took place on a warm, sunny day in Spain, and it remains unclear why the entire country lost its power, more than 24 hours after its suspension.
This problem appears to have originated in Spain. Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro had his finger pointed at his neighboring country on Monday.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said at a press conference on Tuesday that his government had established an “investigation committee.”
Sanchez said Reuters ruled out one possibility, saying that the excess in renewable energy production was not the cause.
He confirmed that Spanish cybersecurity authorities are considering whether the cyber attacks are the cause. Spain’s top criminal court also said on Tuesday it was investigating whether “computer sabotage conduct with regard to critical infrastructure” was liable.
I was knocked out for a few hours completely in Spain and most of Portugal and returned to most places on Monday evening.
The traffic lights, street lights, payment devices and screens were all cut off unless they were battery operated. Many stores were closed and others were forced to accept cash payments only.
The trip was a terrible hit. Flights at airports in Spain and Portugal have been cancelled. Dozens of Iberian cities, such as Madrid, Lisbon, Barcelona, Seville and Valencia, are major hubs of transportation, finance and tourism. According to EU data, two of the five busiest airports in the European Union in 2023 were Madrid and Barcelona airports.
Police officers were forced to direct traffic at hand traffic lights. The roads were quickly blocked and the subway system was closed.
But the worst-case scenario was avoided. Spain’s nuclear sites were declared operationally safe and secure, and hospitals in both countries were run with backup generators.
It will still take a few days before the total costs of the crisis become clear. On Tuesday, Spain’s emergency services said three elderly people died on suspicion of carbon monoxide poisoning after using a generator during a blackout on Monday.
