Europe's Worst Power Outage in 20 Years Leaves Millions in Dark
Europe faced a significant power outage, the most severe in over two decades. The incident, which occurred on the Iberian Peninsula, left millions without power and sparked an international investigation led by the European Network of Transmission System Operators (ENTSO-E).
The outage began at 12:32:57 PM in Granada, Spain. It quickly spread, affecting parts of Portugal and even a small area in France. Unusual voltage fluctuations preceded the event, with power plants going offline in stages. ENTSO-E attributed the blackout to a combination of outdated grid connections, insufficient reactive power from generation plants, low voltage security reserves, and unclear regulations for energy system actors.
EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen stressed the need for a secure, reliable, and resilient energy system following the incident. A final report detailing the cause and prevention measures is expected in the first quarter of 2026, as the exact cause remains under investigation.
The April 2023 blackout on the Iberian Peninsula highlighted the need for improved grid infrastructure and clearer regulations. With the final report pending, European officials are committed to preventing such power outages in the future.
