Iberian Blackout Raises Concerns Over Renewables-Heavy Power Grids

Contact Your Elected Officials

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.

Blind Manโ€™s Shutdown

Congress is playing the equivalent of Bind Man's Bluff. With the shout โ€œtag your itโ€ they seek to blame the other party for the government shutdown.

A Reluctant Acknowledgment: What Conservatives Can Admire in Everyday Progressives

Admirable ideological qualities seen in liberals and left-wing individuals are those of the everyday believer not their political leadership.

Ensuring Domestic Tranquility

The Supremacy Clause in Article VI of the U.S. Constitution establishes it as the highest law of the land, taking precedence over conflicting state laws.

Pam Bondi, Zohran Mamdani, and the ADL: Censorious Peas in a Pod

Typically, the only four circumstances under which the leadership...

Shut it Down – Shut it Down

Shut down and dismantle every federal agency not essential to citizens' life, health, or liberty โ€” phase them out and end their power. permanently!

Trump Weighs on Cutting Agencies as Government Shutdown Enters Day 2

Trump to meet with OMB Dir. Vought to decide which agencies face cuts and whether reductions will be temporary or permanent.

Is There a 9/11 WTC and 9/10 Charlie Kirk Connection?

Strange parallels in online stories raise questions about whether Israelis and Mossad intelligence are our allies or adversaries.

ACLU Sues ICE to Release Records of Detainment Facilities

ACLU has filed a lawsuit against ICE, seeking to compel the agency to disclose records related to specific operations, according to the complaint.

Pam Bondi, Zohran Mamdani, and the ADL: Censorious Peas in a Pod

Typically, the only four circumstances under which the leadership...

Department of Energy Cancels $7.5 Billion in Project Funding

The Dept of Energy (DOE) said on Oct. 2 that it had terminated 321 federal grants funding 223 projects, amounting to about $7.56 billion in cuts.

White House Withdraws EJ Antoniโ€™s Nomination to Lead Bureau of Labor Statistics

The White House has withdrawn economist EJ Antoniโ€™s nomination to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the White House confirmed on Sept. 30.

US to Impose 100 Percent Tariffs on Foreign-Made Movies, Trump Says

President Donald Trump announced on Sept. 29 that he will impose a 100 percent tariff on all movies produced outside the United States.

Trump to Host Netanyahu at White House to Discuss Gaza Peace Plan

President Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House on Sept. 29 to discuss a ceasefire and broader peace plan for Gaza.
spot_img

Related Articles