By Pietro Lombardi and Marta Serafinko April 17 (Reuters) - Spain's energy and competition regulator said on Friday it had opened formal probes into the country's largest energy companies and the
Spain's watchdog probes major energy companies over historic blackout
By Pietro Lombardi and Marta Serafinko
Regulatory Investigation into the 2025 Iberian Blackout
April 17 (Reuters) - Spain's energy and competition regulator said on Friday it had opened formal probes into the country's largest energy companies and the power grid operator over last year's unprecedented blackout in Spain and Portugal, after finding evidence that some power sector rules were breached over extended periods.
Companies and Entities Under Scrutiny
Watchdog CNMC is investigating grid operator Red Electrica (REE) - a unit of Redeia - and energy companies Iberdrola, Naturgy, Endesa and Repsol, as well as individual power plants.
Nature of the Alleged Infringements
The information available for each proceeding is limited. REE is being investigated for "very serious infringements", according to the watchdog's website, while the others are being probed for "serious infringements".
Potential Penalties and Company Responses
CNMC head Cani Fernandez had previously said the most serious breaches could lead to a fine of up to 60 million euros ($70.8 million).
REE said it was reviewing the CNMC's decision, but pointed out that the probe was at a very early stage. Previous reports found the blackout had been caused by multiple factors and "supplied technical evidence that there was no breach (by REE) that could have been a determining cause", it said.
Iberdrola, Endesa and Naturgy declined to comment. Repsol did not reply to requests for comment.
Blame Game and Ongoing Analysis
BLAME GAME
Investigations into the Blackout's Causes
A number of investigations have analysed the possible causes of the massive outage, which plunged large parts of Spain and Portugal into darkness for up to 16 hours on April 28, 2025. Most focused on identifying the causes, without assigning blame.
Regulator's Findings and Statements
Earlier on Friday, the CNMC said that while the violations did not cause the blackout, they may have affected power system operations and could amount to administrative infringements, requiring a formal investigation.
The names of the companies being probed were disclosed on the watchdog's website after the market close.
Recommendations and Technical Analysis
In a report last month, the CNMC recommended measures to mitigate voltage swings in the power grid following the blackout, as well as boosting French power links. It did not assign blame, saying it was examining potential breaches separately.
On Friday, the CNMC said it found a chain of events that progressively destabilised the power system and culminated in the massive outage. The immediate cause was a surge in voltage.
It added that some suspected breaches had persisted for long periods, but said this did not amount to assigning responsibility for the origin of the blackout to the companies involved.
Next Steps in the Proceedings
The proceedings can last between nine and 18 months, depending on the seriousness of any infringement, and affected parties will be able to submit arguments and evidence.
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(Reporting by Pietro Lombardi, Marta Serafinko and David Latona; Editing by Mark Potter, Louise Heavens and Bill Berkrot)
