The lights are back on: what could the wider implications of Iberia’s blackout be for European power?

We explore the complexity of maintaining security and affordability of power supplies amidst Europe’s decarbonisation, emphasizing the challenges posed by increased reliance on renewables, rising operational complexity, and insufficient flexibility. ​ As the penetration of renewables continues to grow, issues of grid congestion, negative power prices, and high constraint management costs have come to the fore. ​The Iberian blackout underscores the critical need for investment in infrastructure, cross-border interconnections, market frameworks and public engagement to address these challenges. ​