A major power outage hit the Iberian Peninsula on April 28, 2025, plunging millions of people into darkness as electricity supplies were abruptly cut off across Spain and Portugal.
Industry sources suggest a cyberattack is the most likely cause of the unprecedented failure, although authorities have yet to officially confirm this. The blackout began around 12:30 PM local time (10:30 GMT) when Spain's electricity demand suddenly dropped from 25,184 megawatts to 12,425 megawatts in a matter of seconds. This event, referred to as a "cero energético" by technical experts, indicates a complete collapse of the electrical system. Experts dismiss the idea of a simple short circuit, pointing out that Red Eléctrica typically has systems in place to isolate affected areas and prevent nationwide failures under normal conditions.
"When a total grid collapse happens, it’s incredibly challenging to restore quickly. The network must be rebuilt node by node, which can take hours or even days," explained an industry insider.
Widespread Disruption Across Multiple Countries The outage affected not only Spain but also all of Portugal, parts of southern France, and Andorra. Spain’s island territories – the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands – were unaffected, thanks to their independent power generation systems.
Critical infrastructure across the region experienced severe disruptions. Madrid's Barajas International Airport halted operations, metro systems in major cities shut down, and telecommunications networks collapsed. Traffic lights failed across urban areas, causing chaos at intersections, while many people were trapped in elevators.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, accompanied by the Minister for Ecological Transition, visited Red Eléctrica’s control center to assess the situation. The Spanish Cybersecurity Coordination Office is investigating the incident, though officials have warned it is "too early" to draw any definitive conclusions about the cause. Red Eléctrica has activated emergency restoration plans, with power slowly being restored in the northern and southern regions of the peninsula.
The recovery process relies heavily on hydroelectric power, as renewable sources are insufficient to stabilize the grid, and gas and nuclear plants require significant time to restart.
Cloudflare Radar data showed a sharp decline in internet traffic, with Portugal's traffic dropping by about 30% and Spain's by 37%. The International Energy Agency recently warned that cyberattacks against utilities worldwide have more than doubled between 2020 and 2022.
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