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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Helena Horton Environment reporter

What caused the blackout in Spain and Portugal and did renewable energy play a part?

Rows of solar panels
Solar panels in Cádiz, Spain. Both countries were sourcing about 80% of their electricity from solar and wind when the blackout hit on Monday. Photograph: Design Pics/Ken Welsh/Getty Images/Design Pics RF

Spain and Portugal suffered the worst blackout in living memory in Europe this week. About 55 million people were affected and it lasted more than half a day. Some have blamed renewables and net zero emissions targets, as the two countries boast high levels of wind and solar on their electricity grid and lead Europe in the technologies. But is this true?

What happened?

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