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Don’t believe the hype: Making good use of a blackout
The Spanish blackout of April 2025 is an opportunity to strengthen electricity systems that have higher shares of renewables and should not be used as an excuse to slow down the energy transition.
Don’t believe the hype: Making good use of a blackout
When a major power outage hit large parts of Spain and Portugal on 28 April, critics of renewable energy didn’t wait for the facts. Instead, they quickly took to social media and the press – with messages sometimes echoed by public broadcasters – to blame the blackout on renewables.
This wasn’t just speculation. It was part of a wider pattern of climate disinformation targeting low-carbon technologies, aiming to undermine public trust and stall progress on the energy transition.
Some of these critics amplified early, unverified claims about what triggered the event. Others argued that the growing share of wind and solar energy had made the grid unstable.
It’s a serious claim – but not necessarily a valid one at this point. We need to know the chain of circumstances that led to the blackout, what measures were in place at the time, and precisely what went wrong. Spain’s grid operator, Red Eléctrica de España, will no doubt shed more light on that. In the meantime, blaming renewables makes little sense.
Understanding grid stability
To understand what’s at stake, a quick refresher: Traditional power plants – like those running on coal, gas, or nuclear – provide what’s called “rotational inertia.” Their large spinning generators help stabilize the grid by keeping voltage and frequency steady.
By contrast, the power electronics that connect solar panels and wind turbines to the grid don’t naturally provide the same stabilizing effect. So, as the share of renewable electricity grows, the system becomes more sensitive to sudden shifts in supply or demand.
When an incident disrupts that balance – if a transmission line goes offline, for example – the voltage and frequency can start to drift. To contain the problem, safety systems isolate the affected area. That’s what happened on 28 April, and it’s why the rest of Europe, including France, didn’t experience a blackout.
This kind of cascading failure isn’t new, nor is it specific to renewable power. Large blackouts have occurred well before wind and solar took off – in Italy, Canada, and the US in 2003, India in 2012, Turkey in 2015, Australia in 2016, and more recently in Texas, Spain, and Pakistan.
Some blackouts stem from “low voltage” issues during high demand. More recent challenges come from “high voltage” conditions, which can arise when demand is low and decentralized sources like wind and solar are generating more than the system can easily absorb.
Blackouts as learning opportunities
Every such event is a chance to improve the system. We already know how to make grids more resilient with a high share of renewables:
- Smart inverters for solar and wind to help regulate frequency, not just follow it.
- Grid codes and market mechanisms that reward flexibility and fast response.
- Synchronous compensators, which mimic the inertia of traditional plants.
- Repurposed thermal plants, which run without fuel to provide stability services.
- Battery storage, which is rapidly becoming cheaper and more effective.
All these tools are part of a modern, flexible grid. South Australia and California have already demonstrated that it’s possible to integrate high shares of variable renewables without compromising stability.
What business leaders should take away from the power outage
- Power outages are not just a technical concern – they’re a business risk. Even short disruptions can halt production, damage sensitive equipment, or compromise data. As energy systems grow more complex, business leaders can’t afford to stay on the sidelines.
- Understanding how modern grids work – what keeps them stable, what puts them at risk – is now part of strategic risk management. It helps companies assess their exposure, plan for resilience, and engage more effectively with energy providers and policymakers. The more businesses understand the system they rely on, the better prepared they are to navigate it.
The strategic edge in energy transitions
- Clean, flexible energy is not just good for the planet – it’s increasingly good for business. Companies that invest in renewable power, flexible demand, and storage can unlock cost savings, manage volatility, and access new revenue streams through emerging energy services.
- More than that, energy strategy is becoming part of corporate identity. Customers, investors, and regulators are looking closely at how businesses source and use energy. Those who lead with credibility and innovation gain not only efficiency but trust and market advantage.
Don’t let misinformation drive business decisions
- It’s easy to be swayed by headlines in the aftermath of a blackout, but that’s a risky way to shape strategy. Today’s energy systems are evolving fast, and complexity is often misrepresented or misunderstood.
- Executives don’t need to be power system experts. But they do need clarity. That means cutting through noise, questioning simplistic narratives, and grounding decisions in facts, not fear. The most resilient and forward-looking leaders will be those who engage seriously with the real dynamics of energy transition and help shape them.
The blackout should be treated for what it is: a chance to improve and strengthen our power systems.
A final thought
While lessons will certainly be learned from the Iberian blackout event, one takeaway is already clear: slowing down the energy transition isn’t one of them.
The blackout should be treated for what it is: a chance to improve and strengthen our power systems. Knee-jerk reactions that blame renewable energy only distract from the real work of building a more reliable, modern, and low-carbon grid.
We have the tools, the technologies, and the knowledge. What we need now is the resolve to stay the course – thoughtfully, decisively, and with a clear-eyed sense of the opportunities ahead.
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