Efforts to restore power across Spain are showing progress following a significant outage that occurred earlier on Monday. The national grid operator, Red Eléctrica, confirmed that electricity has been reinstated in northern regions of Spain. The outage, which also impacted Portugal, Andorra, and parts of France, has prompted a collaborative response from neighboring countries.
While Red Eléctrica has not provided a specific timeline for full restoration, it has cautioned that the process will require time, with approximately half of the national grid currently operational. France’s national grid operator, RTE, is assisting in supplying power to Spain, and Ukraine has offered its expertise to aid in the recovery.
In Portugal, power has been restored in certain areas, and the national electricity company, REN, plans to offer further updates during a press conference scheduled for 8 pm local time. The cause of the widespread outage remains undetermined. However, Spain’s National Cryptologic Centre has gathered evidence suggesting a potential cyberattack. This hypothesis was echoed by Juanma Moreno, president of the Andalusian regional government, who advised caution.
Despite these concerns, some officials from Portugal and the EU have dismissed the cyberattack theory. Spanish Premier Pedro Sánchez, during a press conference, stated that all scenarios remain under consideration, emphasizing the priority of restoring electricity to all affected households. Portugal’s Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, reported no indications of a cyberattack being responsible and anticipated a full service restoration within hours.
European Council President António Costa, hailing from Portugal, also found no evidence supporting the cyberattack claim. He remains in contact with both Montenegro and Sánchez, as national grid operators from Spain and Portugal continue their efforts to identify the cause and restore power.
The European Commission is actively engaged with Spanish and Portuguese authorities to understand the root cause of the blackout. European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen, expressed readiness to support Spain and Portugal in reestablishing their systems, as per existing EU protocols designed to address such disruptions.
