Green Revolution Cripples Spain’s Power Grid

_WHAT’S HAPPENING_

Spain and Portugal experienced widespread power outages on Monday, plunging tens of millions into darkness after the power grid suddenly failed. The unprecedented outage paralyzed transportation systems, shut down digital payment networks, and knocked out communications across the Iberian Peninsula.

Just six days earlier, Spain celebrated operating entirely on renewable energy during a weekday for the first time. But their over-reliance on volatile renewables was likely a key factor in making their power grid vulnerable to complete collapse.

_THE FACTS_

At the time of the blackout, around 80 percent of Spain’s power grid was comprised of solar and wind energy.
Portuguese grid operator Rede Eléctrica Nacional claimed the blackout was due to a “rare atmospheric phenomenon,” causing the Spanish grid’s electrical systems to fail.
Fossil fuel energy systems can continue to function after shocks, while solar and wind energy sources lack this resilience.
Spain has aggressively expanded its renewable energy capacity, with solar installations doubling between 2023 and 2025.
The country has shut down more than half of its coal-fired power plants since 2020 and plans to phase out nuclear power by 2035.
The blackout affected critical infrastructure, including hospitals — which switched to emergency generators — while thousands were trapped in elevators and subway tunnels.
Over 500 flights were disrupted at Spanish and Portuguese airports, with air traffic control systems operating on backup power.
Spain's renewable energy plan aims to generate 80 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2030.

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Jorge Rios1 year ago

It has never been a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket, especially when the basket has a weak handle making it very likely that it will brake and all your eggs will fall out and break.

Laney B1 year ago

What perfect timing for "a rare atmospheric phenomenon" to expose leftist greenie dreams for the foolishness they are. The sun and the wind canNOT be counted upon to ante-up when needed!

claude chase1 year ago

There are so many weak links in the chain of thoughts that claims the green new deal is the way to go. first off this new deal is just a re-branding of all the previous scams that have been proven not to be factual, first it was holes in the ozone are going to kill us all, then came the next and then yet another. Now its quit being global warming in favor of global climate change - we are being told that every time the wind blows hard or the rain comes down hard - "It's our fault". just follow the money, who's making money of this scare tactics of a shell game? do they practice what they preach, or fly around in private jets ? Fire has always been the backup system for human survival, camp fire for cave dwellers, or gas powered fire to turn a generator for modern times. Wind and Solar parts along with batteries make a lot of money for China, and you are expected to pay no attention to the fact that more damage is done to the environment in their manufacture than benefits gained !

Alc Cookeville1 year ago

An entirely cult-of-the-global-warming-hoax driven ignonomous collapse. Lessons (hopefully) learned:

Be like NASA, and always have a secondary way to keep going. This could include natural gas fueled gas turbine driven generators, as in Florida, to handle peak loads.

Don't be wedded to renewables at the cost of your economy.

Keep nuclear and coal plants for cold and rainy days...Which do happen, as Texas found to be the case.

sharon smith1 year ago

Even hybrids vehicles have had reliability problems and to rely totally on solar and wind is unrealistic. Of course there needs to be a failsave backup system in emergencies. We need to realize that climate change means just that, and some day the Iberian Peninsula will no longer have 'perfect conditions' for wind/solar generated power. O ur weather is recently cycling around to the colder winters we endured during the '40's through '80's... I'm an octogenarian.

L. C.1 year ago

If this is repeatable, it is “science” so let us pay attention. Diversify our energy use. Weather is and has always been unpredictable no matter how smart the weatherman is, ultimately the God of the universe is in charge.

Monty Mickle1 year ago

That's a great lesson for the rest of us. If Greta Thunburg and environmental kooks want to life in the stone age, knock themselves out, but don't expect that for the rest of us

Sandra A1 year ago

The Texas blackout in 2021 should remind us that keeping strong reserve generation is crucial, such as oil and nuclear. There are large areas of the US that freeze and more people die of cold than heat! A winter failure is the worst case scenario compared to the inconvenience of having to be evacuated from a train or elevator.