The blackout of April 28, 2025, left over 56 million people across the Iberian Peninsula without power for nearly six hours, generating economic losses exceeding €1.6 billion according to sector estimates.
The system, which had already been showing signs of saturation and unmanaged renewable generation during peak solar hours, was further exposed as vulnerable due to a lack of electrical inertia, with difficulties in maintaining stable frequency and rapid recovery mechanisms after massive disconnection.
The absence of consensus to implement structural measures has stalled key decisions and increased investment uncertainty.
Nonetheless, both the Spanish and Portuguese governments have reinforced their focus on renewables: Lisbon strengthening its grid and storage to manage surplus and ensure firmness, and Madrid attempting to salvage aspects of RDL 7/2025 to sustain the momentum of clean energy, which already accounts for over 57% of annual generation.
Three months after the event, the Iberian governments have adopted divergent strategies in response to the urgency of reinforcing their electricity systems.
Portugal: autonomy, storage, and interconnections
Aware of its structural dependency on the Spanish system, the Portuguese government presented, on July 28, a package of 31 anti-blackout measures valued at €400 million, focused on three pillars: resilience of critical infrastructures, energy transition, and international cooperation.
The Minister for the Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, stated: “The readjustment of the national electricity system and the response capacity of critical infrastructures, the commitment to energy transition and decarbonisation, and international collaboration for market interconnection.”
She indicated that black start capacity would be doubled, a National Energy Storage Plan developed, and a green map of priority areas for renewables established.
“We are going to create a green map of development zones for renewable energy production, which are currently being identified,” she emphasised.
She also added that this instrument “is a security factor for any investor, because it will be known that this area has a strategic environmental shield, and therefore, authorisations will be simpler.”
The Portuguese plan also includes an auction for battery storage before 2026, a real-time monitoring platform for the electricity system, and measures to strengthen interconnections with Spain and explore new ones with Morocco.
Spain: the RDL that never was
In contrast, the Spanish government presented Royal Decree-Law 7/2025 as an immediate response to the electricity crisis, including measures to enhance system oversight, reduce tariffs for electro-intensive industry, promote shared self-consumption, and streamline the connection of new renewable installations.
But the text was rejected in the Congress of Deputies, revealing a transversal political rift that included even government allies, who justified their opposition citing disagreements on form and content.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared: “The Spanish industry must know that it will always have the Government’s commitment,” and announced that some measures could be enacted via royal decrees without passing through Congress.
Although he did not make direct references to renewables in his 28 July address, his discourse aligned with ecological transition principles, ensuring that energy reforms would remain a priority.
In earlier interventions, Sánchez has openly defended the role of clean energy in system security and denied that renewables were responsible for the April blackout.
Nevertheless, the rejection has created a climate of regulatory uncertainty and legislative paralysis that directly impacts investment and sectoral confidence.
Technical and economic consequences of the rejection
Various renewable sector entities lamented the fall of the decree. Fundación Renovables warned: “The Royal Decree included essential measures for advancing towards a fair and distributed energy transition.” The Wind Business Association (AEE) described the non-validation as “a mistake” that “seriously hampers the development of renewable energy.” APPA Renovables noted the risk of system collapse due to lack of alignment with administrative milestones.
The regulation contained key technical provisions, such as public utility status for storage, the creation of a self-consumption operator, remuneration for voltage control, and measures for wind repowering without duplicating environmental procedures.
Energy sector experts agree that the rejection of RDL 7/2025 exposed critical gaps in Spanish energy policy.
The lack of political consensus has derailed essential progress such as voltage control and active integration of renewables for grid stability.
They also highlight the gap between the current low electrification rate — at 22% — and the slow pace of grid modernisation, contrasting with the 2025-2030 plan objectives.
Additionally, they emphasise the loss of momentum in shared self-consumption in urban settings — a key tool in a country where over 70% of the population lives in apartment buildings.
Energy storage: a missed opportunity
One of the sectors most affected by the non-approval of the RDL is energy storage.
It is estimated that the fall of the decree puts at risk more than €2 billion in investments and blocks between 3 and 5 GW of planned capacity through 2030.
Various specialists agree that structural measures for energy storage must be urgently implemented. As an alternative, they propose multi-year auctions for complementary services such as inertia provision, black start capability, and fast frequency response.
It is also suggested to divide the contents of the RDL into specific legislative initiatives that can bypass the political hurdles preventing its wholesale approval.
Grid operators under scrutiny: REE and REN face pressure for reforms
The April blackout reignited scrutiny over the role of national grid operators. In Spain, Red Eléctrica de España (REE) has come under criticism for inadequate deployment of voltage control systems during peak solar hours, contributing to cascading disconnections.
Investigations indicate that REE implemented the weakest reactive power response protocols recorded in 2025, leaving the grid vulnerable to sudden overvoltage events.
Furthermore, the absence of coordinated strategies to activate inverter-based resources and grid-scale storage compounded the instability.
In Portugal, while REN succeeded in restoring over 99% of demand within 12 hours, analysts pointed to structural weaknesses in handling high-voltage line fluctuations.
The operator acknowledged the need for greater dynamic grid control and has since accelerated investment in shunt reactors and voltage regulation infrastructure.
REN also tripled its battery storage deployment target to 750 MW by 2026 as part of its stabilisation roadmap.
Visible future: uncertainty in Spain, acceleration in Portugal
While Portugal moves toward a robust system with renewables, storage, and international cooperation, Spain remains mired in political paralysis.
With 2024 closing at 57% renewable generation, the country lacks a clear roadmap to sustain and expand that achievement.
From various sectors, there is a call to reintroduce RDL 7/2025, either via a legislative proposal or segmented into technical decrees. Otherwise, the risk of another blackout remains latent, and Spain’s energy competitiveness could deteriorate even further.