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It’s been almost a year on from the major blackout that left large parts of the Iberian Peninsula without power, the effects are still being felt in how Spain’s electricity system operates and, in some cases, how much it costs.

 

The outage on April 28 exposed weaknesses in voltage control and system coordination, prompting urgent changes to how electricity is managed. In response, grid operator Red Eléctrica de España (REE) introduced a reinforced operating mode designed to prevent a similar incident from happening again.

 

In the immediate aftermath, the disruption also had a noticeable impact on prices. Electricity costs surged in the days following the blackout, adding to concerns about both reliability and affordability. While the situation has since stabilised, the measures introduced to protect the system remain in place.

 

Since May, the grid has been operating under what is known as Operating Procedure 7.4. This involves prioritising combined cycle gas plants to help maintain voltage stability across the network. According to REE data, the enhanced scheduling has already cost €516 million, accounting for 2.18% of the total electricity system costs.

 

As Ismael Morales from the Renewable Energy Foundation explains, “This provides stability, but it also forces a reduction in renewable generation.” The reason is technical but important. Traditional energy sources rely on heavy rotating turbines, which help stabilise the system in a way that renewables currently cannot fully replicate.

 

That shift comes at a cost. “Gas is much more expensive than renewables,” Morales adds, pointing to the increased role of combined cycle plants. This, in turn, boosts revenues for the companies that operate them.

 

Energy firms themselves have acknowledged the scale of the added costs. Endesa CEO José Bogas told a Senate committee that ancillary services linked to the reinforced system could reach around €1.1 billion, describing the approach as “the safe or normal way to operate.”

 

Despite this, the government insists the impact on consumers is limited. The Ministry for Ecological Transition says “the enhanced operation represents a small cost compared to other elements of the final bill,” adding that “consumer prices have not risen; in fact, they are lower than last year.”

 

However, questions remain about the longer-term picture. Months after the incident, concerns persist over grid stability, system costs and the lack of definitive answers about what went wrong.

 

For households on fixed tariffs, the effect may be less visible. But for businesses and industry, the pressure is more apparent. Morales warns that “until we eliminate this mechanism, prices will remain high” for those sectors.

 

For now, there is no clear timeline for ending the reinforced operation. REE has said it will remain in place until the system can guarantee stable voltage control. As its president, Beatriz Corredor, recently explained, the measure was introduced due to “a lack of reliability” in how some parts of the system were operating.

 

Until those underlying issues are resolved, the legacy of last year’s blackout is likely to continue shaping Spain’s energy landscape.

 

 

Image: digital representation