Spain’s unprecedented power outage sparks a blackout blame game over green energy
Employees stand inside a supermarket without lights in Burgos on April 28, 2025, during a massive power cut affecting the entire Iberian peninsula and the south of France.
Cesar Manso | Afp | Getty Images
A catastrophic power outage affecting much of Spain, Portugal and the south of France has thrust the role of renewables and energy security into the spotlight.
An abrupt and widespread blackout, one of Europe’s worst in living memory, affected the entire Iberian Peninsula on April 28.
The outage, which lasted for several hours, plunged much of the region into darkness, stranded thousands of train passengers and left millions without phone or internet coverage or access to cash from ATMs.
Spanish authorities have since launched several investigations to determine the root cause of the incident, including a probe into whether a cyberattack could be to blame.
Alongside Spanish opposition parties, some external observers have flagged renewables and net-zero emissions targets as possible reasons for the outage, particularly given Spain and Portugal both rely on high levels of wind and solar for their electricity grid.
“It’s very sad to see what’s happened to Portugal and Spain and so many people there, but you know, when you hitch your wagon to the weather, it’s just a risky endeavor,” U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNBC’s “Power Lunch” on April 28.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the country’s grid operator Red Electrica de Espana (REE) have both said record levels of renewable energy were not at fault for the blackout.
People queue at a bus stop at Cibeles Square in downtown Madrid as subway and trains are totally out of service due to a massive power outage in Spain, on April 28, 2025.
Thomas Coex | Afp | Getty Images
European Union energy chief Dan Jorgensen, meanwhile, said that there was “nothing unusual” about the sources of energy supplying electricity to the system at the time of the outage.
“So, the causes of the blackout cannot be reduced to a specific source of energy, for instance renewables,” he added.
‘Europe needs more energy’
European energy technology companies called for observers to refrain from drawing their own conclusions in the absence of a formal explanation from authorities.
Henrik Andersen, CEO of Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas, said he’d encourage “a degree of statesmanship” over the blackout, particularly as Spanish policymakers continue to investigate.
“First of all, energy security means that you can run societies without having blackouts. That’s stating the obvious,” Andersen told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Tuesday.
“Everyone is grasping quick root causes and blaming each other, and I simply just don’t want to go there because until we know the root cause of why grids can fail across Spain and Portugal, let’s not second guess or try to blame someone at cybersecurity or blame individual energy sources,” he added.
“Europe needs more energy — and we probably also need a stronger grid. That goes without saying,” Andersen said.
Siemens Energy CEO Christian Bruch, meanwhile, said the German energy tech group was holding talks with the relevant transmission and utility operators following the blackout.
“What you do see is that when you build an energy system, you need to think about the generation, like solar, wind, gas, whatever, but you also need to think about how the overall system on the grid side [is[ operating and how you stabilize that,” Bruch told CNBC on Thursday.
Solar panels on the Seat Cupra SA plant in Martorell, Spain, on Thursday, March 13, 2025.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
“This is sometimes underestimated in its complexity, and this is why products from us for grid stabilizations are in demand at the moment to balance these things out,” he continued.
“It’s possible to solve it but it will require investments and it’s not easy. It’s not just a couple of solar cells and some batteries. It’s a little bit more complex than this,” Bruch said.
‘Cash suddenly becomes really important’
For those on the ground at the time of the outage, the lack of power underlined the challenges of a digital society.
“Cash suddenly becomes really important,” Roseanna, a resident of the southern Spanish city of Málaga, told CNBC. She said she only had 40 euros ($45.16) available when the power cut just after midday.
“Obviously you can’t get money out and you can’t pay with card, so it’s certainly important to have a little bit of cash in your pocket at all times,” she continued.
“We’ve gone all digital but the system’s ruined if there’s no electricity,” Roseanna said.
— CNBC’s Karen Gilchrist contributed to this report.
On today’s incredibly frustrating episode of Quick Charge, Tesla is making it easier than ever to make fun of them by rolling out a new, “affordable” Model Y that costs $2,000 more than the “expensive” one did last week, thanks to the cancellation of the $7,500 tax credit that Elon Musk (the guy who is so good at business that he’s allegedly worth $1 trillion) spent $200 million campaigning for.
We’ve also got the new, single-motor Volvo EX30 at a price that undercuts the cheap Tesla, but includes a full length glass roof that isn’t inexplicably covered in upholstery to punish poor people. All this and more – enjoy!
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Chevy’s electric SUV is now the best-selling EV in the US outside of Tesla. The 2026 Chevy Equinox EV is slightly more expensive than the outgoing model, but GM has added new style packages for you to choose from.
GM raises 2026 Chevy Equinox EV price, adds options
The Chevy Equinox EV doesn’t need much help. Starting at just $34,995, the 2025 Chevy Equinox quickly became one of the best-selling electric vehicles in the US.
Entering its third year, the Equinox EV remains GM’s most affordable EV, with starting prices slightly higher at $36,495. That includes the $1,395 destination fee.
Since it’s a carryover model, there aren’t too many changes, but buyers will have several new style packages to choose from.
The 2026 Chevy Equinox LT gains a new Midnight Package, which adds black emblems, bowtie, badging, wheel caps, and 19″ black painted aluminum wheels, for $595.
There’s also a new Tech Bronze Package available on the LT and RS trims. The new option includes a Tech Bronze decal, a black nameplate, a black bowtie emblem, and 21″ Tech Bronze wheels. It costs an extra $3,595.
The 2026 Chevy Equinox EV is now listed on GM’s website. It’s still available in LT1, LT2, and RS trims with Front Wheel Drive (FWD) and All Wheel Drive (AWD) powertrain options.
The base 2026 LT FWD trim starts at $36,495 with up to 319 miles of range, including a $1,395 destination fee. Upgrading to AWD costs an extra $5,300, with a slightly shorter range of 307 miles.
| Chevy Equinox EV trim | 2025 Starting Price | 2026 Starting Price | EPA-estimated Range |
| LT 1 FWD | $34,995 | $36,495 | 319 miles |
| LT 1 AWD | $38,295 | $39,795 | 307 miles |
| LT 2 FWD | $43,295 | $43,295 | 319 miles |
| LT 2 AWD | $46,595 | $46,595 | 307 miles |
| RS FWD | $44,795 | $45,595 | 319 miles |
| RS AWD | $48,095 | $48,895 | 307 miles |
Following another record quarter of EV sales in Q3, GM said that the Chevy Equinox EV was the best-selling non-Tesla electric vehicle in the US.
With several new affordable EVs arriving, including the new Nissan LEAF, will the Equinox continue to be a top seller in 2026? It will be interesting to see where the rankings end up at this time next year.
Wondering if Chevy’s electric SUV lives up to the hype? You can use our link to find 2025 and 2026 Chevy Equinox EV models near you and try it out for yourself.
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A surge in EV charging cable thefts is putting the reliability of the UK’s charging network at risk and undermining trust among drivers. InstaVolt is the UK’s largest network of fast chargers, and over the past two years, nearly 1,000 of its charging stations (it has over 2,100, so nearly 50%) have been targeted by cable thieves. But now InstaVolt is fighting back with GPS tracking.
Bafflingly, the incentive for thieves is low-value scrap: There’s only about £25 ($33) worth of copper inside a charging cable. But the damage is costly – around £1,000 ($1,342) per site for repairs.
In April, InstaVolt CEO Delvin Lane told the BBC that the thefts had cost his company about £410,000 ($550,150) since November 2023. Lane said, “This isn’t just an InstaVolt problem; this is an industry problem. The biggest impact is on drivers.”
InstaVolt has reinforced its cables with Kevlar sheaths, making them harder to cut. It has also rolled out live GPS tracking across its network on its charging cables in partnership with GPS supplier Trackit247. The technology provides location updates every three seconds, allowing the company to detect, trace, and recover stolen cables in real time.
Each charging cable is geo-fenced to its charger, so an alert is immediately triggered if it moves outside the designated area. InstaVolt’s 24/7 security center receives instant notifications by text, email, and phone, and it can coordinate directly with the police.
The system’s biggest advantage is live tracking in transit. If a thief drives off with a charging cable, police can follow its exact route and move in fast, increasing the chance of recovery and arrest. Instavolt’s GPS technology marks a major step forward in protecting critical EV infrastructure, deterring theft, and enabling quick response when it happens.
Read more: Meet the UK’s largest solar + storage EV charging ‘Superhub’
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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