Iberian blackout sparks massive probe as economy hit hard
"Of course, we will hold all private operators accountable," said Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez regarding Monday's blackout on the Iberian Peninsula. The head of the government announced the establishment of an investigative commission to explain exactly what happened on April 28.
"We are working intensively," said the Prime Minister of Spain, referring to the suspension of train traffic in some regions of the country. This issue resulted from Monday's blackout, which left most of the country without power for many hours. This massive failure may cost the Spanish economy 4.5 billion euros ($5.1 billion). The blackout also affected parts of Portugal and France.
According to network operator Red Electrica, Monday's power outage across Spain was of an "exceptional and extraordinary" scale and is considered the most serious failure of its kind in the country's history. The cause remains unknown.
Blackout in Spain: Prime Minister announces
Red Electrica suspects the failure may be linked to the "mass shutdown of solar power plants in southwestern Spain," as reported in "Marca."
The director of the operator announced that Red Electrica "will be able to identify specific facilities that were disconnected from the network once we receive all the information from the control centers of energy-producing companies."
"We will hold all private operators accountable," revealed Pedro Sanchez.
Necessary reforms will be implemented, and measures will be taken to ensure such a situation does not recur. "Of course, we will hold all private operators accountable," declared the prime minister. The National Security Council will establish an investigative commission under the chairmanship of the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenges. Red Electrica has ruled out a cyberattack, but according to Sanchez, an independent investigation needs to be conducted.
The Prime Minister from the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party urged residents not to listen to conspiracy theories and to seek information about the blackout through official governmental channels.
Due to the failure, five Spanish nuclear power plants halted operations. At the same time, these power plants were reported to be problematic, as "it was necessary to transmit large amounts of energy to maintain the stability of their cores."
Those who associate the incident with a lack of nuclear energy are either misinformed or ignorant. "Our system has demonstrated a great capacity for recovery," assessed the prime minister.
Sanchez also thanked residents for their "civic behavior" during this challenging time.
