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Back in April, Spain experienced its biggest power blackout in decades. On Monday April 28, millions of people across the country were left without electricity for up hours. The blackout happened because the grid couldn’t handle sudden spikes in voltage, especially from renewable sources like solar and wind. Experts say the system was overwhelmed and couldn’t keep things stable, leading to a nationwide power cut.

 

Since the blackout, the way Spain runs its electricity grid has changed. To avoid another blackout, the grid operator, Red Eléctrica, has been using more traditional power plants, like nuclear, hydro, and gas, instead of relying so much on renewables. This means more electricity is being produced than is actually needed, which is pushing up costs for everyone. The extra cost so far is about €370 million, and this is being passed on to homes and businesses.

 

Electricity prices have gone up, especially in the summer months. For example, prices jumped from around €45 per MWh in April to over €80 per MWh in June, July, and August. This means people are paying more for their electricity, even though renewable energy is usually cheaper.

 

The grid is still having trouble keeping voltage stable. There have been several incidents since April, including sudden surges and drops in voltage, especially when lots of renewable energy comes online at once. Electricity companies are asking Red Eléctrica for more information about what happened during the blackout and how the grid is being managed, but so far, they haven’t received all the details they need.

 

There’s also a disagreement between the grid operator and the companies that run power plants. Red Eléctrica wants to make all renewable plants help control voltage, but the companies say this isn’t practical yet and could even cause more problems. The regulator has agreed to some short-term measures, but the main solution won’t be ready until 2026.

 

Because the grid is using more gas plants to keep things stable, gas consumption has gone up by 78% since April. The gas industry is now asking for higher tariffs on gas bills to cover the extra costs of running and maintaining the network. They say that without these increases, it won’t be possible to keep the gas supply reliable or invest in new technologies.

 

Gas bills have actually gone down in recent years, but the industry argues that this has made it harder to keep up with rising costs. The regulator is now reviewing how much the gas sector should be paid, but the companies say the current proposals aren’t enough to keep things running smoothly.

 

The bottom line is that six months after the blackout, Spain is dealing with higher electricity bills, ongoing grid problems, and a push from the gas sector for higher tariffs. The situation is still tense, and there’s no clear solution yet to prevent another blackout in the future.

 

 

Image: Chatgpt