Spain has increased gas power generation by over a third following April’s unprecedented blackout as officials work to stabilize the grid while debating renewable energy’s role in the system failure.
The April 28 outage left millions without electricity across Spain, Portugal and parts of France, killing eight people and causing an estimated €1.6 billion ($1.82 billion) in economic damage.
Read: Spain’s Grid Goes Dark After Hitting 78% Renewables
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Energy Minister Sara Aagesen told lawmakers the blackout began when a Granada power station failed, triggering cascading outages that rapidly spread across the Iberian grid. Officials have ruled out cyberattacks as the cause.
Red Electrica data shows combined-cycle gas turbines now make up 18% of Spain’s energy mix, up from 12% before the blackout. The day after the failure, gas power production jumped 157%.
In a radio interview last week, Aagesen defended renewable energy’s role in Spain’s power system. Records show the grid had 32 gigawatts available to serve 25 gigawatts of demand when the failure occurred, with solar providing over half the electricity.
Energy consultant Javier Revuelta estimates Spain is now using about 2 gigawatts of additional gas-fired capacity daily, increasing generation costs between €5 and €10 per megawatt-hour.
Related: Spain Reconsiders Nuclear Phase-Out After Grid Collapse
Red Electrica says it’s incorporating additional gas turbines to help stabilize voltage in the system.
These adjustments will eventually impact consumer bills, though they don’t immediately appear in wholesale electricity prices.
Multiple investigations continue as authorities balance renewable energy goals with grid stability requirements.
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