Tue Apr 29 15:47:20 UTC 2025: ## Europe Hit by Widespread Blackout, Cause Remains Mystery

**Madrid/Lisbon** – A massive blackout plunged Spain and Portugal into darkness on Monday, affecting tens of millions and causing widespread disruption to transportation, communication, and essential services. The outage, one of the worst in Europe’s recent history, lasted nearly a day before power was largely restored on Tuesday morning.

The blackout, which began around 12:30 PM local time (10:30 GMT), affected almost the entire Iberian Peninsula. Major cities like Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon experienced chaos, with people trapped in elevators and trains, and widespread internet outages. Supermarkets with backup generators saw long lines as citizens stocked up on essentials. Madrid declared a state of emergency.

While power has been largely restored, transportation systems continue to face significant delays. The cause of the outage remains undetermined, despite ongoing investigations.

Portugal’s electricity provider, Redes Energeticas Nacionais (REN), initially attributed the failure to a “rare atmospheric phenomenon” causing temperature fluctuations and oscillations in high-voltage lines. However, Spain’s national meteorological office (Aemet) denied any unusual weather patterns on that day.

Experts, including Kang Li, smart energy systems chairman at the University of Leeds, suggest multiple factors may be involved, citing the increasing integration of renewable energy sources into the grid. The rapid increase in renewable energy, particularly solar and wind power, which accounts for 56% of Spain’s electricity and is projected to reach 81% by 2030, may have contributed to grid instability. While Spain has seen record hours of negative power prices due to oversupply, this had not previously resulted in such a widespread blackout.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez acknowledged the unprecedented scale of the outage, noting a loss of 15 gigawatts – 60% of national demand – in just five seconds. While cyberattacks are being investigated, both Spanish and Portuguese authorities, along with the European Commission, have ruled out sabotage as a likely cause.

The investigation continues, with officials hoping to determine the exact cause in the coming days. The incident highlights the potential vulnerabilities of interconnected power grids and the challenges of integrating large amounts of renewable energy. The scale of the blackout underscores the need for further investment in grid resilience and adaptation to climate change, experts say.

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