Spain and Portugal Urge European Commission to Press France on Electricity Interconnections Following Blackout
Governments seek concrete milestones to enhance interconnections that currently fall below 3% and call for investigations into voltage variations before the outage.
The governments of Spain and Portugal have formally requested that the European Commission increase pressure on France regarding the completion of electrical interconnections between the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe.
This appeal follows a significant power outage that occurred on April 28, 2025. In a joint letter delivered to the European Commissioner for Energy, Dan Jorgensen, the two nations proposed a ministerial meeting this year that would involve France and the European executive.
The aim of the meeting is to establish "concrete milestones" to achieve minimum interconnection targets, which currently stand at below 3%.
This figure is considerably short of the European objectives set at 10% and 15% for 2020 and 2030, respectively, which they argue poses a risk to the overall European energy system.
The unprecedented event on April 28 highlighted the critical need to strengthen interconnection infrastructures.
In the letter, Spanish and Portuguese officials emphasized the importance of enhancing connectivity within the European electricity system during critical situations.
They urged the Commission to take on a "firm political and financial commitment" that prioritizes these interconnections with urgency.
Completing the electric interconnections of the Iberian Peninsula is framed as a shared responsibility for the future of Europe’s energy landscape.
The letter also calls for substantial investments in European network infrastructure alongside renewed political impetus.
Spanish and Portuguese officials articulated that the current lack of integration severely limits the full utilization of renewable potential in southwestern Europe, contributes to rising electricity prices, undermines supply security, and hampers collective capacity to effectively respond to energy market crises or disruptions.
The governors asserted that electric interconnections are thus not merely a national or regional concern but a strategic pillar of the European Union.
This appeal follows a significant power outage that occurred on April 28, 2025. In a joint letter delivered to the European Commissioner for Energy, Dan Jorgensen, the two nations proposed a ministerial meeting this year that would involve France and the European executive.
The aim of the meeting is to establish "concrete milestones" to achieve minimum interconnection targets, which currently stand at below 3%.
This figure is considerably short of the European objectives set at 10% and 15% for 2020 and 2030, respectively, which they argue poses a risk to the overall European energy system.
The unprecedented event on April 28 highlighted the critical need to strengthen interconnection infrastructures.
In the letter, Spanish and Portuguese officials emphasized the importance of enhancing connectivity within the European electricity system during critical situations.
They urged the Commission to take on a "firm political and financial commitment" that prioritizes these interconnections with urgency.
Completing the electric interconnections of the Iberian Peninsula is framed as a shared responsibility for the future of Europe’s energy landscape.
The letter also calls for substantial investments in European network infrastructure alongside renewed political impetus.
Spanish and Portuguese officials articulated that the current lack of integration severely limits the full utilization of renewable potential in southwestern Europe, contributes to rising electricity prices, undermines supply security, and hampers collective capacity to effectively respond to energy market crises or disruptions.
The governors asserted that electric interconnections are thus not merely a national or regional concern but a strategic pillar of the European Union.
Translation:
Translated by AI
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