While it is a commendable view that energy authorities will be more attentive to things like this, my spidey sense tells me they will need to suffer several more events if this nature before anything gets changed.
Meh, disagree. The sudden voltage rise was from loss of a large chunk of renewable generation. However the fact that it went that high means they were operating without enough reactive reserve to control the voltage after the trip. The voltage rise likely caused the generation loss to cascade. Had they provided sufficient reactive reserve to control voltage it might have been limited to a small area.
You have the diagnosis somewhat correct. Californians for Green Nuclear Power (CGNP) will soon be releasing an in-depth analysis of why the April 28, 2025 Iberian Peninsula blackout occurred. To summarize, it was a combination of Chinese mercantilism aggressively promoting solar and wind coupled with an astonishing and parasitic Spanish tax on nuclear power to help defray the exorbitant cost of Spain's large solar and wind generation fleet.
Abundant, pollution-free, high-quality, safe, reliable Spanish nuclear power provided a significant amount in taxes in 2021 to subsidize low-quality Spanish solar and wind generation! Spanish solar and wind are intermittent, unreliable, and require substantial natural gas fired generation (with pollution) to firm their substantial intermittencies. Watch for CGNP's article at https://greennuke.substack.com/
Spain's government is working to divert attention from their harmful energy policies. They are likely mindful of how California Governor Gray Davis played an important role in bringing on the ENRON-induced California blackouts about a quarter century ago. Gray Davis was recalled in 2003.
CGNP uses energy source data from the Spanish grid operator Red Electrica (REE) to show that since the blackout, Spain is now dispatching sufficiently greater amounts of electricity from nuclear power and combined cycle gas plants at mid-day to maintain sufficient synchronous grid inertia. This observation is in accord with the link you pinned at the top regarding the Spanish government analysis of the cause of the April 28, 2025 Iberian Peninsula blackout. However, their analysis is silent regarding the role of their unique tax on nuclear power. The Spanish analysis does not contain the word "inertia" like it should.
Closer to home, CGNP also shows that the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) is dangerously close to emulating Spain at mid-day. Particularly perilous times are during the spring and fall when Diablo Canyon Power Plant is undergoing a refueling outage for one of its pair of nuclear reactors. California dodged a bullet this spring. CGNP has concerns regarding this fall.
that the projected tax burden will be 41% of total costs between 2025 - 2035. Several other sources we located confirm this high tax burden which seems to be designed by the government to strangle Spanish nuclear power.
Tripped on frequency, that is inertia. Voltage excursions sound like decision based evidence making, but either way its all about the renewables. Grid forming inverters are still an experiment, with our lives.
The detailed official reports in detail the repeated tripping as voltages rose. Many of the renewable generators did not fulfil their design obligations of dealing with excess voltage for 60 minutes. Others tripped at voltages below the grid operators specification. Each trip resulted in a voltage rise which triggered more trips
I do concur that the high ratio of renewable to despatchable power was core to the problem. When the despatchable generators were needed to stabilise voltage the scheduled plan did not do their job sufficiently and there was no other plant to assist
Here's more info from the crisis investigation committee: https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/prensa/ultimas-noticias/2025/junio/se-presenta-el-informe-del-comite-de-analisis-de-la-crisis-elect.html
This is a whitewash. See my comment below.
While it is a commendable view that energy authorities will be more attentive to things like this, my spidey sense tells me they will need to suffer several more events if this nature before anything gets changed.
Meh, disagree. The sudden voltage rise was from loss of a large chunk of renewable generation. However the fact that it went that high means they were operating without enough reactive reserve to control the voltage after the trip. The voltage rise likely caused the generation loss to cascade. Had they provided sufficient reactive reserve to control voltage it might have been limited to a small area.
Well, as I say in the piece, I was specifically wrong (on inertia), but directionally correct (on renewables).
Ahhh, sorry if I jumped on too soon, you very much have my respect sir!
What is Spain going to do in 20 years when the solar and wind non-renewable contraptions are at life's cycle end?
You have the diagnosis somewhat correct. Californians for Green Nuclear Power (CGNP) will soon be releasing an in-depth analysis of why the April 28, 2025 Iberian Peninsula blackout occurred. To summarize, it was a combination of Chinese mercantilism aggressively promoting solar and wind coupled with an astonishing and parasitic Spanish tax on nuclear power to help defray the exorbitant cost of Spain's large solar and wind generation fleet.
Abundant, pollution-free, high-quality, safe, reliable Spanish nuclear power provided a significant amount in taxes in 2021 to subsidize low-quality Spanish solar and wind generation! Spanish solar and wind are intermittent, unreliable, and require substantial natural gas fired generation (with pollution) to firm their substantial intermittencies. Watch for CGNP's article at https://greennuke.substack.com/
Spain's government is working to divert attention from their harmful energy policies. They are likely mindful of how California Governor Gray Davis played an important role in bringing on the ENRON-induced California blackouts about a quarter century ago. Gray Davis was recalled in 2003.
CGNP uses energy source data from the Spanish grid operator Red Electrica (REE) to show that since the blackout, Spain is now dispatching sufficiently greater amounts of electricity from nuclear power and combined cycle gas plants at mid-day to maintain sufficient synchronous grid inertia. This observation is in accord with the link you pinned at the top regarding the Spanish government analysis of the cause of the April 28, 2025 Iberian Peninsula blackout. However, their analysis is silent regarding the role of their unique tax on nuclear power. The Spanish analysis does not contain the word "inertia" like it should.
Closer to home, CGNP also shows that the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) is dangerously close to emulating Spain at mid-day. Particularly perilous times are during the spring and fall when Diablo Canyon Power Plant is undergoing a refueling outage for one of its pair of nuclear reactors. California dodged a bullet this spring. CGNP has concerns regarding this fall.
CGNP is updating its statistics regarding Spanish nuclear taxes. The Spanish tax burden is worse than we first imagined. This 2024 Price Waterhouse Cooper analysis shows https://www.pwc.esies/publicaciones/energia/assets/fiscalidad-parque-nuclear.pdf
that the projected tax burden will be 41% of total costs between 2025 - 2035. Several other sources we located confirm this high tax burden which seems to be designed by the government to strangle Spanish nuclear power.
Tripped on frequency, that is inertia. Voltage excursions sound like decision based evidence making, but either way its all about the renewables. Grid forming inverters are still an experiment, with our lives.
The detailed official reports in detail the repeated tripping as voltages rose. Many of the renewable generators did not fulfil their design obligations of dealing with excess voltage for 60 minutes. Others tripped at voltages below the grid operators specification. Each trip resulted in a voltage rise which triggered more trips
I do concur that the high ratio of renewable to despatchable power was core to the problem. When the despatchable generators were needed to stabilise voltage the scheduled plan did not do their job sufficiently and there was no other plant to assist
Agree--I was directionally correct about renewables.