Spain Launches Investigation Into Historic Blackout Amid Political Fallout

Spain has launched a full-scale investigation into the unprecedented blackout that swept across the Iberian Peninsula, crippling daily life and triggering political and legal scrutiny.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the formation of a special commission to determine what caused the outage, which disrupted power in both Spain and Portugal, halted phone and internet access, and stranded trains.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Sánchez vowed that “all necessary measures will be taken” to prevent such an event from happening again. While Spain’s national grid operator, Red Eléctrica, has ruled out a cyberattack, uncertainty still looms over what exactly triggered the widespread power failure.

Adding to the complexity, Spain’s top criminal court, the Audiencia Nacional, opened a separate probe to explore whether the blackout could be classified as an act of sabotage.

Investigators are examining the possibility that the outage was the result of a deliberate cyberattack targeting critical infrastructure—an act that could carry terrorism charges under Spanish law.

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The incident has ignited a fierce political battle over Spain’s energy strategy. The far-right Vox party quickly blamed the blackout on the government’s ongoing plan to phase out nuclear power. In response, Prime Minister Sánchez dismissed those claims, calling them “either dishonest or ignorant.”

He argued that nuclear energy would not have provided a faster recovery, noting that nuclear plants were among the last to reconnect to the grid after the blackout. “This proves that had we relied more heavily on nuclear, the recovery would have been even slower,” he said.

The blackout has cast a spotlight on Spain’s energy transition, with renewable sources like solar and wind now forming the backbone of the country’s electricity supply. While this shift is praised by climate advocates, it has also drawn criticism from conservative voices and some industry stakeholders, especially as questions arise about system reliability.

Sánchez reiterated his government’s commitment to a clean energy future, stressing that Spain’s resilience lies not in clinging to outdated systems, but in building smarter, more sustainable infrastructure. The investigation, both administrative and criminal, is expected to reveal more details in the coming weeks.