A major power outage struck Spain and Portugal
A major power outage struck Spain and Portugal on Monday, plunging the Iberian Peninsula into darkness for several hours.
The blackout affected millions, disrupting transportation, communications, and essential services across both countries.
The Spanish grid operator, Red Eléctrica de España (REE), ruled out cyberattacks, human error, or “induced atmospheric vibration” (unusual weather) as causes.
Despite a high share of renewable energy in Spain’s power generation, experts suggest that the grid’s limited international interconnection and the lack of mechanical inertia from renewable sources may have contributed to the instability.
Can this happen in Australia? Why will we see this happen more often?
Professor Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian is the Electrical & Electronics Coordinator, Leader of the New Energy Technologies (NET) Research Group, Director of the Swinburne Energy Transition Hub at Swinburne University of Technology.
