On Monday, widespread power outages impacted extensive regions of Spain and Portugal, along with parts of southern France, disrupting traffic signals, public transit, and airport services.
While officials haven’t revealed the specific cause of these outages, several sources have dismissed allegations of wrongdoing.
Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, posted on X that “Grid operators in both Spain and Portugal are investigating the cause and working to restore power.”
Costa previously served as Portugal’s prime minister from 2015 to 2024.
He added, “Currently, there are no signs pointing to a cyberattack.”
Here’s what we know:
What occurred in Europe and when?
The power failures hit a vast area of the Iberian Peninsula around 10:30 GMT, or 12:30 PM local time in Spain, and 11:30 AM in Portugal.
Although parts of southern France experienced brief outages, service was quickly restored.
Key infrastructure faced severe challenges: Metro systems in major cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon halted operations, while critical airports like Madrid-Barajas and Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado encountered significant delays and partial shutdowns.
El Pais, a Spanish newspaper, remarked that the blackout “set Spain back to the 19th century.”
“Trains are halted and traffic lights are out, resulting in chaos. Many cities are engulfed in darkness,” reported Al Jazeera’s Step Vaessen from Valencia Airport.
“Authorities have indicated that this is the first-ever incident of such a massive blackout,” she noted.
Demanda de energía eléctrica en tiempo real. Datos de Red Eléctrica Española. Así está la cosa ahora, siete horas después del batacazo: lenta recuperación, pero muy lejos aún de la normalidad. #apagón pic.twitter.com/8VcCxSUIDN
— José María Montero S (@monteromonti) April 28, 2025
Translation: Real-time electricity demand. Data from Red Electrica. The situation seven hours after the blackout: gradual recovery, but still not back to normal.
The chart illustrates a drastic drop in electricity usage from approximately 26,000 megawatts to merely 12,000 within minutes.
Where did the outages occur?
Spain and Portugal, with a combined population of around 60 million, were the most heavily impacted regions.
- Spain: Major cities including Avila, Madrid, Murcia, Galicia, Alicante, Zaragoza, Barcelona, and Seville reported widespread outages. The Canary and Balearic Islands remained unaffected.
- Portugal: Lisbon and Porto faced similar issues.
- Southern France: Areas in the French Basque Country experienced brief power interruptions, lasting only a few minutes according to officials.
- Morocco: Reports suggested that internet services in Morocco were briefly disrupted due to network links with France affected by the outages.
What else was impacted?
The Madrid Open tennis event was canceled for the day, with organizers stating no activities would proceed on Monday “to ensure general safety.”
Madrid’s fire services performed over 200 interventions related to elevators, while health services reported 167 emergencies, primarily associated with respiratory issues and anxiety attacks.
In Lisbon, local media indicated that residents hurried to grocery stores for essential supplies like water and non-perishable items.
What triggered the power outage?
Prime Minister Luis Montenegro of Portugal indicated that indications suggest the blackout originated in Spain.
The precise cause remains uncertain. Although there is currently no evidence of a cyberattack, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez mentioned that all possibilities are still under consideration, urging caution against speculation.
The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) reported that initial evidence points toward a cable fault as the potential cause.
However, recent warnings from experts have pointed out that excessive solar energy generation in the grid could also trigger outages. Earlier this month, Belgium’s electricity operator advised that an overabundance of generated electricity could pose risks to grid stability.
As per a Bloomberg report, Spain has experienced unusual amounts of negative power pricing amid a surge in solar and wind energy contributions to the grid. However, this oversupply had previously not led to any blackouts.
What is the latest update?
Power has been restored in portions of northern, southern, and western Spain, as reported by the grid operator on Monday.
Minister of Transportation, Oscar Puente, stated that medium- and long-distance train services are not expected to resume until the next day. The grid operator, Red Electrica, estimates full restoration may require six to ten hours.
Power has been reinstated in areas including Catalonia, Aragon, the Basque Country, Galicia, Asturias, Navarre, Castile and Leon, Extremadura, Andalusia, and La Rioja, according to authorities.
By 4:30 PM local time (18:30 GMT), electricity consumption in Spain had exceeded 50 percent of its usual level, per reports from the Spanish news agency EFE.
REN, the grid operator in Portugal, confirmed that power production has resumed at the Castelo do Bode hydroelectric station and the Tapada do Outeiro thermal power plant.
With these facilities back online, energy consumption is progressively improving across Portugal, starting from areas close to the plants and gradually expanding outward, REN reported.
