RealClearEnergy has announced that the April blackout across Spain and Portugal exposed a critical flaw in the reliance on solar and wind energy, highlighting the necessity for stable electricity generation sources. This announcement was made in an article by RealClearEnergy.
According to RealClearEnergy, Spain marked a significant milestone on April 16, 2025, when it declared its electrical grid had achieved 100% renewable energy. However, just 12 days later, a complete grid collapse left both Spain and Portugal in darkness. The blackout affected tens of millions of people and was attributed to instability in solar and wind power combined with a lack of traditional baseload generation. RealClearEnergy explained that this incident serves as a stark warning about the vulnerabilities of national grids heavily dependent on renewable sources without the stabilizing effect of gas or nuclear energy.
RealClearEnergy reported that the blackout began with rapid fluctuations in electricity within the Aragón-Catalonia corridor, where solar and wind output surged and dropped unexpectedly. At the time of failure, 78% of Spain’s power came from renewables, while only 15% was derived from gas and nuclear sources—an imbalance that left the grid without sufficient inertia to absorb sudden shocks. The grid failed in under five seconds, and automatic systems designed to import energy from France disconnected to protect other European grids, worsening the crisis.
The blackout resulted in over $2 billion in economic losses and led to three deaths due to carbon monoxide poisoning from diesel generator use. Airports, subways, and payment systems across the Iberian Peninsula went offline; by evening only 35% to 40% of the grid had been restored. Analysts cited in the report—including David Blackmon and Dr. Roy Spencer—argued that renewable energy lacks the inertia and reliability required for large-scale grid stability, emphasizing that policymakers should not overlook these physical limitations.
RealClearEnergy is part of the RealClear Media Group dedicated to energy news, policy analysis, and commentary. It aggregates expert perspectives and original reporting on energy issues including fossil fuels, renewable technologies, and national energy policy. According to its about page, RealClearEnergy aims to provide balanced, data-driven content to inform decision-makers and the public on the economic, technological, and strategic implications of energy choices.
