Spain’s Grid Operator Chief Deflects Blame After Massive Blackout, Survives Shareholder Vote
Madrid, Spain – Beatriz Corredor, the chair of Redeia, Spain’s electricity grid operator, has vehemently denied responsibility for the widespread blackout that plunged Spain and Portugal into darkness on April 28, 2025. Facing intense scrutiny since the outage, Corredor has instead pointed fingers at power-generating companies, alleging their failure to adequately manage energy supply as the primary cause of the grid’s collapse. This stance has sparked a heated debate, with energy firms, industry analysts, and politicians questioning Redeia’s management and calling for increased investment in the country’s aging power infrastructure.
The blackout, which lasted for nearly 23 hours, brought life to a standstill across the Iberian Peninsula. Traffic lights went dark, street lamps flickered out, payment terminals became useless, and screens went blank, leaving millions in the dark and scrambling to cope. The disruption extended far beyond everyday inconveniences, severely impacting domestic and international transport. Metro systems ground to a halt, communication networks faltered, and hundreds of flights were canceled at airports across Spain and Portugal, leaving travelers stranded and businesses counting the costs.
The fallout from the outage culminated in a tense shareholder meeting on Monday, where Corredor faced an impromptu vote on her removal. Despite facing intense criticism, she managed to retain her position, securing the backing of shareholders who ultimately chose to keep her at the helm of Redeia. During the meeting, Corredor also announced plans for record investment in the company’s infrastructure, a move seen by some as a response to the growing calls for grid modernization and improved resilience.
Corredor’s defense rests on the claim that Redeia followed established rules and procedures, both in planning power sources for voltage control and managing the interconnector with France. She dismissed accusations of mismanagement, characterizing them as “unfounded” and part of a campaign of “misinformation” designed to tarnish the company’s reputation. Alongside CEO Roberto Garcia Merino, Corredor maintained that Redeia acted appropriately both before and during the blackout, asserting that the root cause lay elsewhere within the energy ecosystem.
However, a government report into the incident contradicted Redeia’s narrative, highlighting the company’s failure to accurately calculate the correct energy mix as a contributing factor to the grid’s inability to handle a voltage surge that ultimately triggered the outage. This finding has fueled criticism from large energy companies in Spain, who have also raised concerns about the management of the power link with France, a crucial component of the Iberian Peninsula’s energy infrastructure.
The debate over who is to blame for the massive blackout continues, with the spotlight firmly fixed on Redeia and its leadership. While Corredor has managed to survive this immediate challenge to her position, the pressure remains intense. The government report, coupled with the widespread disruption and economic consequences of the outage, has amplified calls for greater investment in Spain’s power grids and a thorough reassessment of Redeia’s role in ensuring the country’s energy security. The promised record investment may be a step in the right direction, but it remains to be seen whether it will be enough to quell the growing concerns and restore public confidence in the stability of Spain’s electricity supply. The future of Redeia, and indeed the future of Spain’s energy landscape, hangs in the balance as the fallout from the April blackout continues to unfold.