Britain Blackout: Can Renewables Keep the Lights On? | Kathryn Porter | Free the Power

In this episode of Free the Power, the IEA’s COO and resident Energy Analyst Andy Mayer interviews Kathryn Porter, independent energy consultant and founder of Watt-Logic. The conversation examines the devastating blackouts that hit Spain and Portugal on April 28th, 2025, when the entire Iberian Peninsula went offline for ten hours, resulting in eleven fatalities. Porter provides detailed analysis of how renewable energy systems contributed to the cascade failure, starting with a malfunctioning solar inverter that created voltage oscillations across the grid.

Porter explains the complex physics behind grid stability, revealing how conventional power stations with heavy spinning turbines provide essential inertia that keeps electricity systems stable, while renewable sources using electronic inverters create vulnerabilities. She details how widespread non-compliance with grid codes by renewable generators caused frequency deviations that ultimately triggered the system-wide collapse. The discussion covers the dangerous ten-hour "black start" process required to restore power, where engineers must carefully synchronise power stations one by one to avoid damaging equipment.

The interview concludes with warnings about similar risks facing Britain's electricity system. Porter identifies critical vulnerabilities including inadequate demand forecasting that hasn't been updated in decades, aging infrastructure from the 1970s nearing end-of-life, and over-reliance on imports from European neighbours who are themselves facing energy shortages. She criticises National Grid ESO and Ofgem for prioritising net zero messaging over system security, arguing that current policies are creating dangerous conditions that could lead to blackouts costing lives.

Check out Kathryn’s work here.

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