Spain and Portugal suffered enormous electricity outages on April 28th, 2025. This event shocked millions more residents and tourists all across the Iberian Peninsula. The outages surged around noon, creating statewide, systemwide pandemonium. Their transport systems, from subways to traffic lights, came to a halt. Both the Spanish and Portuguese governments rushed to call emergency Council of Ministers meetings to respond to the sudden crisis.
As the story developed into Wednesday, the cause of the power outage was still unknown. News articles showed that cities on both countries’ side of the Atlantic were affected, with residents of Madrid especially experiencing the effects of the severances and disruptions. At 3 PM local time, the Spanish national security council met to assess the situation. First, they wanted to get on the same page to organize a strong response.
In reaction to the crisis, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez immediately called for direct dialogue with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The European Commission is actively in contact with national authorities in both Spain and Portugal to better understand the cause and ramifications of the outage.
“We will coordinate efforts and share information to help restore the electricity system, and agreed to stay in close contact,” – Ursula von der Leyen
The extended power outage has led to serious disruption and danger in everyday life. In Madrid, citizens brought phone flashlights to illuminate darkened streets. At the same time, thousands of shops struggled to serve customers when they had no electricity. Schools throughout the impacted areas shuttered classrooms in their wake, making an already complicated situation even more difficult for families.
In addition to the now cohort of ecstatic commuters, reports began circulating of stopped subway service and broken traffic lights, compounding chaos among commuters. An anonymous source expressed frustration, stating, “We have no idea when we will be moving again and have little to no info as data is intermittent.”
Eduardo Prieto, director of operations at Red Eléctrica, indicated that restoring power across Spain could take “between six and ten hours.” As this estimate was confirmed by several other outlets, it further underscored the dire nature of the situation as officials scrambled to return life to normal.
The European Commission’s involvement is an indication of just how serious the outage truly was. With thousands more in limbo, wandering around dazed and bewildered, both federal governments raced to calm worried citizens by coordinating their emergency efforts.
Teresa Ribera, Spain’s Minister for Ecological Transition, noted that at this stage, there is “no evidence that the outage is the result of a deliberate act, such as sabotage or a cyber-attack.” This announcement was meant to calm concerns about possible negative impacts on election security while the state’s investigation into the causes of the outages went on.
While everyone continued to deal with the extended upheaval from the disaster, many found ways to cope through laughter. One Madrid resident commented on the situation, saying, “Whilst the power cut is of course stressful, the sun is still shining and they’re enjoying a beer.” This funny riposte was a welcome relief from the serious mood that hung over both countries.