Spain Identifies Flaws Behind Massive Power Outage, Rules Out Cyberattack

In a comprehensive report released by the government, it has become clear that a combination of voltage surges and infrastructure setbacks led to the significant power failure affecting millions.

The Spanish government has revealed that the nationwide blackout in April, one of the largest power failures in recent memory for Europe, was predominantly the result of strategic planning errors coupled with cascading technical issues. Almost two months following the incident that left tens of millions without electricity, officials stated in a report released on Tuesday that a cyberattack was not a factor in the outage.

The report attributes the disruption, which occurred on April 28, to failures from the national grid operator, Red Eléctrica, and private companies. These entities reportedly did not adequately react to an unexpected voltage surge that triggered a series of smaller issues across the grid, which ultimately escalated into a total outage.

In a swift response to the government’s findings, Red Eléctrica contested the report on Wednesday, arguing that it had taken appropriate precautionary measures on the day of the disruption and should not be held accountable.

Sara Aagesen, the minister of ecological transition, presented the report and noted that a power plant capable of assisting the Spanish grid during the disruptions was offline at the time. She highlighted that the existing electrical infrastructure still requires significant enhancements to better manage voltage fluctuations and maintain stability.

While European Union officials and industry experts had previously deemed a cyberattack as unlikely, initial investigations could not completely discard the possibility. Following the power cut, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed expectations for swift answers amid national frustration over the incident's widespread impact on daily life.

Public discontent was palpable as the outage halted trains, disrupted traffic lights, and stalled elevators across Spain. Aagesen reported that the government is actively working to bolster protective measures for the national grid to prevent future incidents.