The Spanish government has released a report detailing the causes behind a massive nationwide blackout that occurred in April, marking one of the most severe power failures in contemporary European memory. The report, presented on June 18, 2025, ruled out the possibility of a cyberattack, stating that planning missteps and technical problems led to the outage that left millions without electricity.
In the wake of the blackout, which affected tens of millions of residents across the Iberian Peninsula, the government focused on the failures attributed to the national grid operator and several private companies. According to the report, these entities were unable to respond effectively to a surge in voltage that initiated a chain reaction, ultimately resulting in the widespread blackout.
The state power company, Red Eléctrica, responded to the findings the following day, contending that it had taken appropriate measures in addressing the situation and was not accountable for the resulting disruption. This report serves as Spain's primary public analysis regarding the April incident. It revealed that power plants critical for managing disruption were offline, exacerbating the challenges faced by the national grid.
Spanish officials initially considered the potential threat of cyberattacks but later deemed them unlikely following assessments from EU officials and energy specialists. As a result, the government has sought investigations from European regulators and local agencies to fully understand what transpired.
During the report's announcement, Sara Aagesen, Spain's ecological transition minister, stated the grid's failure to react to a series of unusual voltage fluctuations on April 28 was the core issue. She emphasized that, moving forward, significant enhancements are necessary to safeguard the country's power system.
In the aftermath of the incident, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez vowed to expedite answers but faced increased public frustration due to the prolonged wait for clarity on the situation. According to Aagesen, the government is dedicated to reinforcing measures to better protect the electricity grid in the future.
