Strengthening grids is therefore essential, according to campaigning group Beyond Fossil Fuels, not only for energy security today, but for realising the full promise of a renewable-based energy system tomorrow.
“As we wait for the cause of the Iberian blackout to be determined, we are reminded of a broader truth: resilient grids and clean flexibility solutions are the foundations of a secure, clean energy future, and this event tells us that investing in them can no longer be delayed” said Juliet Phillips, energy campaigner at Beyond Fossil Fuels. “Renewables are the future, and it’s only by future-proofing our infrastructure that we can deliver a fully reliable and clean energy system for decades to come.”
The power outage also demonstrated the benefits of distributed, autonomous renewable clean energy systems. For example, the University of Almería remained open thanks to on-site solar and battery storage, while households across Spain and Portugal used electric vehicle batteries to bridge local power supply gaps.
Even in the aftermath of the event, when electricity began to flow back into the grid on Monday afternoon, the main sources of generation were renewables, proving more resilient and reliable than nuclear power, which was still down by midday on Tuesday.
When fossil fuel-based systems fail, they can take several days to restart, as in the case of the 2021 Texas power outage, when fossil gas was primarily to blame for the systemic collapse.
The broader lesson is unmistakable: energy security, affordability, and climate protection all depend on completing the transition to a renewable-based power system. This requires modernising and strengthening grids and flexibility.
“Grid system operators need to be given a climate mandate to invest and plan for the renewables-based energy system of the future” added Ms Phillips. “This requires a rapid scale up of energy storage, interconnectors and other sources of flexibility. They need to be empowered to implement these solutions, particularly as we face the prospect of more frequent extreme weather events.”
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