A major blackout occurred on April 28, 2025, affecting Spain and Portugal. Around 12:33 p.m., Spain’s power grid lost about 15 gigawatts, almost 60% of the country’s energy supply, according to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. This sudden loss caused serious disruptions across the Iberian Peninsula. Millions of people lost electricity, internet, and phone services. Train operations stopped, airports faced delays, and subways closed in cities like Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon. Emergency services evacuated about 35,000 train passengers. Spain’s power company, Red Eléctrica, restored about 92% of the power by early Tuesday. The Portuguese government explained that the problem seemed to have started outside the country. Spain also received emergency electricity from Morocco and France to help with recovery. Authorities stated that an investigation was continuing and no cyberattack had been found.

Efforts to stabilize the power supply included increasing production at hydroelectric and thermal plants. Spain’s National Security Council organized an extraordinary meeting to manage the national response. Backup generators helped hospitals and emergency services, but many businesses and ATMs stayed closed. The blackout also delayed flights and suspended events like the Madrid Open tennis tournament. European officials, including Teresa Ribera, described the blackout as one of the most serious power incidents in Europe recently. Communities showed resilience by gathering in parks and public areas. The incident revealed the vulnerability of modern infrastructure and the importance of improving energy system coordination, contingency planning, stabilization, and recovery efforts for future emergencies.