Iberian Blackout Raises Concerns Over Renewables-Heavy Power Grids

The incident is โ€˜a lesson in trigger events and systemic risk, both of which are exaggerated by renewables,โ€™ says analyst Andy Mayer.

For one day in the sunny Iberian Peninsula, the lights went off, in what has been described as the worst blackout in living memory in Europe.

With power now restored, authorities are probing the root cause, but energy analysts say that the regionโ€™s heavy reliance on intermittent renewables may have enabled the grid collapse.

The core issue is grid frequency, a 50Hz โ€œheartbeatโ€ that must stay balanced and is fundamental to how electricity travels through the grid.

To keep the frequency stable, the grid needs an unwavering force of power, something the industry refers to as โ€œinertia.โ€

Fossil fuel oil and gas-fired stations and nuclear power plants have traditionally enabled the decades-old grid to keep a consistent frequency.

However, the rapid increase in renewables and their variable output can effectively throw the rest of the grid out of balance, analysts say.

An unexplained fault on April 28 led to widespread power cuts across Spain, Portugal, and parts of southern France.

The disturbance caused the Franceโ€“Spain interconnector to trip, instantly isolating the two networks.

Red Elรฉctrica de Espaรฑa (REE) said on April 30 that there had already been two significant โ€œdisconnection events,โ€ or interruptions in power, earlier on the same day.

โ€œThe Iberian incident is a lesson in trigger events and systemic risk, both of which are exaggerated by renewables,โ€ Andy Mayer, COO and energy analyst at the free market think tank Institute of Economic Affairs, told The Epoch Times by email.

Since adopting its Climate Change and Energy Transition Law in May 2021, Spain has pledged climate neutrality by 2050, with a complete nuclear phase-out by 2035.

The first reactor is slated to close in 2027, envisioning a grid powered almost exclusively by wind and solar.

At an April 29 briefing, REE system-operations chief Eduardo Prieto acknowledged a โ€œmajor loss of generationโ€ in southwestern Spain, possibly caused by solar, but cautioned that investigations were ongoing.

Byย Owen Evans

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Columns

Is COVID On the Rise All over Asia?

Many videos and social media posts imply China and the CCP are headed towards an economic, social, and political doom.

Impaired Migrant Trucker with Work Visa Kills 5 Gets Out on Bond

Migrant truck driver involved in massive Texas traffic crash killing five people had his $1.2 million bond slashed to $7,000 so he could be released on bond.

Library of Lies

The Press and Democrat Party are trying to sell books in which the shocking surprise is that Joe Biden was a babbling idiot, as though they didn't know.

North Carolina Communities Rising From the Ruins of Hurricane Helene

It will take many years, many hands, and up to $60 billion to recover from the widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in 2024.

Trump Torpedoes Neoconservatism and Neoliberalism in Single Stroke?

D.C elites who manufacture and service the publicly-subsidized, permanent war economy, wouldn't be pleased with Trumpโ€™s speech delivered to Saudi dignitaries.

News

MAHA Commission Recommends Nutrition Trials to Improve Childhood Health

Trumpโ€™s commission on health said the govt should launch new clinical trials on nutrition and improve surveillance of vaccines and drugs given to children.

CIA Says Winning Tech War With China Top Priority, Citing โ€˜Existential Threatโ€™ to US

CIA says China is โ€œexistential threatโ€ to US and top priority is outpacing CCP in tech arms race spanning semiconductors, biotechnology, and AI.

Measles Warning Issued in New Jersey After Infected Fan Attended Shakira Concert

New Jersey health officials are warning of a potential measles exposure at Shakira concert, after a new case was identified from an infectious attendee.

Supreme Court Deadlocks, Leaves in Place Block on Nationโ€™s First Religious Charter School

The U.S. Supreme Court on May 22 voted 4โ€“4 to reject authorization for the nationโ€™s first publicly funded religious charter school.

Crude Oil Prices Decline Amid Unexpected US Inventory Buildup

An unexpected increase in U.S. crude oil stocks contributed to pushing down oil prices in early morning trade on may 22.

Judge Strikes Federal Rule Requiring Employers to Accommodate Employee Abortions

A federal rule that required employers to give workers time off and other accommodations for abortions is illegal, a judge ruled on May 21.

Moderna Withdraws Application for Combination COVID-19โ€“Influenza Vaccine

Moderna on May 21 said it withdrew its application for a license for its combination vaccine against COVID-19 and influenza.

12 States Urge Federal Court to Halt Trump Adminโ€™s Tariffs

12 states asked federal court to put Trumpโ€™s tariffs on imports on hold, arguing he overstepped authority by declaring a national emergency to impose levies on U.S. trading partners.
spot_img

Related Articles