No, solar didn’t collapse Spain's grid

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Jul 7, 2025

In this discussion, guests Laurent Segalen, founder of MegawattX, and Gerard Reid, expert in energy transitions, unravel the complexities behind a massive power outage that hit Spain and Portugal. They debunk the myth that renewable energy caused the blackout, pointing instead to systemic issues like inadequate battery storage and weak grid connections. They stress the need for better infrastructure and innovative solutions, highlighting how different regions manage their energy systems. Listen as they explore the future of energy security amid evolving geopolitical landscapes.

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INSIGHT

Spain's Grid Collapse Was Not Solar's Fault Here’s What Really Happened

The April blackout affecting 47 million people in Spain and Portugal was initially blamed on too much solar power, but the official report from Spain's grid operator reveals a more complex story. The disturbance started with a solar plant sending frequency oscillations, which should have been manageable, but the real problem was that conventional power plants failed to provide necessary voltage control and instead exacerbated the problem.

Key issues included a lack of sufficient battery storage to balance high solar capacity, weak grid interconnections with neighboring areas, and poor system management by grid operators. Laurent Segalen and Gerard Reid highlight that Spain's grid became fragile due to rapid solar deployment without adequate batteries or interconnection, and stress the need for better management and technological upgrades like grid-forming inverters and battery integration.

Jigar Shah summarizes it well: "When the conductor fails to do their job, it's not the fault of any one section of the orchestra." This points to the central responsibility of grid operators in coordinating different energy sources rather than blaming renewables alone.

INSIGHT

Solar Alone Didn’t Collapse Grid

The blackout began with frequency oscillations from a solar plant but escalated due to failures in conventional generators and poor grid management.
Lack of battery storage and weak interconnections made Spain's grid fragile despite massive solar capacity.

ADVICE

Modernize Grid Management

Treat solar and battery systems as critical infrastructure with required services and real-time data access.
Upgrade to grid-forming inverters and improve regulatory frameworks for modern grid management.

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When 47 million people across Spain and Portugal lost power for nearly half a day in April, the finger-pointing began immediately. "Too much renewable energy," declared the critics. Even U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright piled on: "When you hitch your wagon to the weather, it's a risky endeavor.”

There's just one problem with this blame-renewables narrative: it's completely wrong.

In this crossover episode with the Redefining Energy podcast, we examine the official Spanish grid operator report that reveals a complex web of failures.

While the blackout began with a solar plant sending frequency oscillations through the grid, what followed was a cascade of problems: conventional generators that failed to provide required voltage control, inadequate battery storage to balance massive solar capacity, weak interconnections to neighboring grids, and ultimately, poor system management by grid operators themselves.

Our guests, Laurent Segalen of Megawatt-X and Gerard Reid of Alexa Capital — co-hosts of Redefining Energy — help us decode what went wrong and what Spain needs to fix.

"Spain has installed 30 gigawatts of solar in the past 10 years and there's hardly any batteries and there's hardly any connection with the rest of the continent,” explained Segalen. “The system has become more fragile."

“We've had, in the UK, an interconnector going down, 1.4 gigawatts. Well, guess what? There was no blackout. Why? Because batteries came in straight away,” said Reid.

We’ll discuss the many factors behind the outage, and explore why Spain’s grid operator is trying to avoid blame.

Then, we’ll look at how security is reshaping European energy investment. As America leans into its role as a dominant petrostate and pulls back from post-World War II security commitments, Europe is being forced to reconsider how to structure clean energy supply chains.

We also explore the emerging split between "petrostates" and "electrostates" — countries that control energy through scarcity versus those that build abundance through manufacturing and technology. While America doubles down on fossil fuel dominance, can Europe position itself alongside China as a leading electrostate?

Open Circuit is brought to you by Natural Power. Natural Power specializes in renewable energy consulting and engineering, supporting wind, solar, and battery storage projects from concept through financing. Discover how we're creating a world powered by renewable energy at naturalpower.com.

Open Circuit is brought to you by Sungrow, the trusted provider of PV inverters and battery storage. With over 605 GW installed worldwide and a BloombergNEF ranking of “most bankable” in power conversion and energy storage, Sungrow provides solar tech you can count on. Learn more at sungrowpower.com.

Learn more about 38 North Solutions’ Policy Pulse, providing highly curated, actionable snapshots of the political developments shaping the clean tech landscape.

Credits: Co-hosted by Stephen Lacey, Jigar Shah, and Katherine Hamilton. Produced and edited by Stephen Lacey. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand.