Spain's Energy Giants Under Investigation for 2025 Blackout

Spain's energy regulator has initiated investigations into major energy firms and the power grid operator following a severe blackout in 2025. The probe focuses on potential breaches of regulations despite the blackout being caused by various factors. The investigation could result in substantial fines for the companies involved.

Spain's energy and competition regulator has launched formal investigations into the country's largest energy firms and the main power grid operator. This follows a blackout in 2025 that left parts of Spain and Portugal without power for up to 16 hours, with suspected breaches of power sector rules.

The grid operator, Red Electrica, is under scrutiny for potential 'very serious infringements.' Meanwhile, energy companies Iberdrola, Naturgy, Endesa, and Repsol are being examined for 'serious infringements.' According to CNMC, the watchdog, these breaches, if proven, could lead to fines reaching up to 60 million euros.

Despite the ongoing probes, Red Electrica maintains that previous findings showed no direct breach as a cause for the blackout. The CNMC emphasizes that while these violations might have impacted power operations, they did not directly cause the 2025 outage, attributed to voltage surges in the grid.

(With inputs from agencies.)