Europe’s largest blackout sparks renewed debate on nuclear power amidst green energy shift

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1. https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxOclFtRHRIYWt2bGl5RjM5SW95bGZHX1pDMHZNaDlFX2VCU3JJbXZhbHZkb04ybk5KNWJvdGR4Tko4X1hZbE42VkdzTzFYTVdIekZGOEZJcXBjamJQZjV0Q2F3ZzkyMlpQYlZDektXRndDT2NzQXpJaXdwR0xPYl9PSTQ5T1I2RHZESy1oMmVnekdVNFFXYWN5NlZ2NThTZWJE?oc=5&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en - Please view link - unable to able to access data
2. https://www.ft.com/content/5009e314-fc27-4d7f-8e42-9dbede842991 - The International Energy Agency (IEA) chief, Fatih Birol, criticised Europe for its reliance on Russian gas and turning away from nuclear power, calling these 'historic monumental mistakes'. These decisions have caused Europe to lag behind China and the US in clean technology manufacturing due to stringent regulations and higher energy costs. Europe has successfully reduced its dependence on Russian gas, shifting to wind power and increasing LNG imports from Norway and the US. However, nuclear power remains a contentious issue within the EU, with countries divided on its necessity. To recover, Birol emphasises the need for a new industrial master plan. Additionally, the EU faces challenges in maintaining support for its ambitious climate goals amidst rising security concerns and upcoming elections. Danish climate minister Dan Jørgensen stressed the importance of integrating climate policy without harming competitiveness, employment, or increasing inequality.
3. https://www.ft.com/content/4224da9e-dbc5-4aec-85b3-1ce793228086 - Iberdrola's executive chair has warned electricity prices could jump by more than 25 per cent if Spain repeats the 'big mistake' made by Germany of shutting down its nuclear power plants. Ignacio Galán told the Financial Times the Spanish public would pay much higher prices and get a less reliable system if Madrid proceeded with ... . He said there was a need for 'pragmatism' from policymakers, noting that the ... 'Can we as Europeans be in ... ?' Galán said in an interview. 'The Spanish will pay for [closing ... .'
4. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/iberian-blackout-may-have-been-caused-by-nuclear-phase-out-cyberattack-expert/3553376 - A massive power outage that hit nearly all of Spain and Portugal on April 28 may have been caused by a cyberattack or the country’s withdrawal from nuclear energy, according to a top Spanish energy expert. Yolanda Moratilla, the chairperson of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources at the Engineering Institute of Spain, said the failure, which left around 60 million people without power for 10 hours, was 'technically highly unlikely' and might never be fully explained. 'This event was unprecedented in Europe,' she said, noting that it marked the first time the continent experienced zero electricity production for an extended period. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the national power grid operator REE have not provided a timeline for determining the cause. The European Commission’s Energy Union estimates it could take up to six months. Moratilla said the government and REE had previously claimed that such a blackout in Spain was impossible, but the April 28 incident proved otherwise. She said she had warned of this risk due to Madrid’s plan to shut down all nuclear power plants. She argued that Spain’s power grid depends on the rotational inertia provided by large steam turbines, typically in nuclear, hydro, coal, and gas plants. But with coal phased out and limited hydro capacity, shutting down nuclear plants has left the country reliant on combined-cycle gas plants, which she said are not enough to stabilise the system.
5. https://www.politico.eu/article/nuclear-power-push-europe-spain-portugal-outage-energy-security/ - While investigators are still scrambling to understand what caused the problem, finger-pointing has erupted over whether Spain's reliance on green energy is somehow at fault. More precisely, critics have questioned whether a lack of round-the-clock generators, which bring stability to the grid, contributed to the incident. Experts are divided over whether more nuclear power would have made a difference — or if the outage is indicative of deeper issues in Spain's power system. But that hasn't stopped the EU's staunchest nuclear backers from pushing their favourite hobby horse. 'All countries need more baseload,' Busch said in the interview, referencing the minimum amount of power needed to meet consumer demand for power, usually via predictable generators like coal and nuclear. Sweden has become one of the bloc’s more vocal nuclear proponents under its current government, which is pushing to expand its atomic fleet. 'The whole of the EU should not make the Spanish mistake' of not having enough baseload supply, Busch told POLITICO. Her comments come as recriminations circulate over Monday’s outage, which left at least five people dead. On Wednesday, Spanish centre-right opposition politicians called for an independent parliamentary probe and hit out at Madrid’s government-appointed grid operator chief, Beatriz Corredor.
6. https://www.thecommoditycompass.com/p/europes-largest-blackout-exposes - As the share of inertia-less generation increases, the system becomes less capable of managing sudden frequency changes—which are key to maintaining grid stability and avoiding widespread outages, also known as blackouts. Conventional power plants—particularly those powered by nuclear, coal, gas, or oil—naturally stabilise the grid through their large rotating masses. This inertia reserve acts as a shock absorber during disturbances, buying critical seconds for system operators to react. Without it, even minor disruptions can escalate into grid collapse within one or two seconds. The blackout’s effects were not limited to the Iberian Peninsula. France, still operating a large fleet of nuclear power plants, experienced the same frequency swing. However, its reactors’ inherent inertia absorbed the disturbance passively and immediately—preventing a wider collapse. Without this buffer, the blackout could have spread across Europe, including Germany, the Benelux countries, and beyond. This event exposes a growing systemic risk. Countries like Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and the UK have significantly reduced their grid inertia by phasing out nuclear and other conventional baseload plants. Their grids are now similarly exposed to the kinds of disturbances seen in Spain and Portugal. Without sufficient inertia reserves, frequency fluctuations can become uncontrollable—posing a clear threat to energy security. European policymakers and voters must now confront a critical truth: the ongoing energy transition—while aimed at meeting EU climate goals—has introduced structural vulnerabilities into the grid. Without the reintroduction of large-scale, inertia-providing generation—preferably nuclear—Europe’s synchronized electricity system remains dangerously exposed to future blackouts.
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Iberian_Peninsula_blackout - The exact cause of the blackout remains under investigation, but it has prompted discussion about the stability of electricity systems with high shares of variable renewable energy. Early analysis suggests the blackout is unlikely to have been caused by Spain's high share of renewable energy; however, it has highlighted the need for continued investment in power grid stability and resilience as Spain and other countries transition toward higher shares of renewable energy. At the time of the incident, solar energy accounted for approximately 59% of Spain's electricity supply, with wind providing around 12%, nuclear 11%, and gas 5%, according to The Independent. The initial fault is believed to have originated in Extremadura, a region that hosts a large proportion of Spain's solar farms, hydroelectric facilities, and the 2 GW Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant, Spain's most powerful nuclear power plant. Some political groups, including the Spanish far-right Vox party, attributed the blackout to over-reliance on renewables and called for a more diversified energy mix.