EU energy chiefs face pressure as Iberian blackout reveals infrastructure risks Spain, Portugal demand urgent action

Spain and Portugal have issued a renewed call for the European Union to expedite the completion of a key cross-border electricity interconnection with the rest of Europe, following a major blackout that exposed the vulnerability of the Iberian Peninsula’s energy infrastructure.

In a joint letter addressed to EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen, Spanish Energy Minister Sara Aagesen Muñoz and her Portuguese counterpart Maria da Graça Carvalho stressed the urgency of completing the long-delayed power link between France and the Iberian Peninsula. Currently, the interconnection operates at only 3% of the EU’s target capacity—far below the 15% goal set for 2030, which the ministers warned poses a “systemic risk” to Europe’s broader energy security.

“Despite progress in recent years, the Iberian Peninsula remains an energy island,” the ministers wrote in the letter, seen by Bloomberg News. “This lack of integration severely restricts the full exploitation of renewable potential in southwestern Europe, drives up electricity prices, undermines security of supply, and reduces the collective ability to respond effectively to crises or disruptions in energy markets.”

Their appeal follows a widespread power outage on April 28 that left millions without electricity, disrupted telecommunications networks, and halted transport services across Portugal and parts of southern France for several hours. While some observers blamed fluctuations from renewable energy sources, the exact cause of the blackout remains undetermined.

Speaking before the Spanish parliament on May 20, Minister Aagesen dismissed concerns over the capacity of Spain’s national grid, citing the preliminary findings of an independent committee investigating the incident. She reiterated that the blackout was not linked to domestic infrastructure failure.

Calls for improved electricity interconnection from the Iberian Peninsula to the rest of Europe have long faced resistance, particularly from France. Spain and Portugal argue that this lack of integration not only stifles their ability to export surplus renewable energy but also compromises the EU’s broader green and energy resilience goals.

The joint letter comes just weeks ahead of a meeting of EU energy ministers scheduled for June 16 in Luxembourg. Commissioner Jørgensen, who will attend the meeting, has publicly expressed his support for Madrid and Lisbon in the wake of the blackout, pledging to assist “in all possible ways” to address the region’s energy isolation.

By Tamilla Hasanova