Spain's minister calls on power firms to make blackout information public

Spain Urges Power Companies to Publish Data After April Blackout Investigation

Government Response and Investigation Details

Call for Transparency from Power Companies

MADRID, March 23 (Reuters) - Spain's Energy Minister Sara Aagesen on Monday called on power companies to make public all the information they have related to the massive blackout that hit Spain and Portugal last April to ensure a fully transparent investigation of its root causes.

Details of the April Blackout

Extent and Impact of the Outage

The outage left large parts of the Iberian Peninsula without power for up to 16 hours on April 28 and sparked multiple investigations, including by the government and the grid operator.

Investigation Findings

While they all point to a surge in voltage as the immediate cause, no report has assigned blame and the information provided by companies was cited as anonymous.

Statements from Energy Minister Sara Aagesen

Request for Public Disclosure

"I take this opportunity to ask companies, since this information (about the outage) is available to them, to please make it public," Aagesen told a Senate committee hearing.

"I believe it would be best for all citizens," she added.

Regulatory and Technical Mechanisms

Assessment of Preparedness

Aagesen said that there had been no warnings hinting at a potential blackout like the one that happened last year and there were sufficient regulatory and technical mechanisms in place to prevent it, she argued. 

"With the existing regulatory elements and mechanisms, the blackout should not have happened," Aagesen said. 

Future Outlook and Renewable Energy Integration

The Spanish power system is now better prepared to tackle a similar event, she said, adding that the country can keep adding renewable power sources with no risk of another massive blackout.

(Reporting by Pietro Lombardi; Editing by Andrei Khalip)