Carlos Batlle

The impact of the April 28th blackout in the Iberian Peninsula went well beyond its regional scope and immediate economic effects. From the outset, various interest groups began to speculate not so much about the causes of the incident (which remain not fully known), but about the broader lessons that in their view (and interest) should be drawn for the future. These extend beyond Spain and Portugal to the global stage: what kind of electricity system expansion is needed to advance decarbonization while ensuring long-term adequacy and short-term security?

The blackout underscores the urgent need for rigorous, deliberate, and consensus-driven system planning—methodologically, institutionally, and regulatorily. First, in line with ongoing debates on the distribution side, security and network planning must strike the right balance between operational and capital expenditures, between market and regulated frameworks. It also highlights the need to reconsider the European transmission system operator model—or alternatively, to establish independent planning offices—and to strengthen regulators' technical capacity to assess and monitor proposed investments. Without such reforms, Europe risks heightened security vulnerabilities and growing inefficiencies as it advances toward decarbonizing its power systems.

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