Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday appealed for patience amid growing demands for answers about the massive power outage that disrupted life across Spain last week.
The April 28 blackout caused widespread disruption, cutting internet and phone connectivity, halting train services, shutting down businesses, and leaving many areas in Spain and Portugal without electricity. Parts of southwestern France were also briefly affected.
While debate continues over the origins of the outage, authorities have yet to determine a clear cause. Investigators are currently analyzing extensive data from energy companies and the national grid.
“This process will require time—we’re talking about reviewing approximately 756 million data points,” Sánchez explained to lawmakers during a parliamentary session. He emphasized the government’s commitment to uncovering the full story.
“People deserve answers… but we won’t draw premature conclusions or shut down the discussion early,” he added.
According to Sánchez, early technical assessments indicate that three separate incidents occurred in southern Spain that day, with the third leading to the grid’s failure.
Previous reports highlighted two closely spaced events—separated by just five seconds—that cut power output by an amount equivalent to 60% of Spain’s electricity consumption at the time.
Opposition parties on the right and far-right have used the event to criticize the PSOE-led government, claiming its shift from nuclear to renewable energy has weakened the nation’s energy stability.
Sánchez, however, rejected these accusations, stating there is “no evidence” to suggest that the blackout was caused by “too much reliance on renewables or the absence of nuclear facilities.”
Meanwhile, People’s Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo accused Sánchez of being dismissive and warned that his party would push for accountability, including potential resignations.
