The Iberian Peninsula is back online after its historic blackout. Power has been restored in less than 24 hours – no simple task. But already, Spanish right-wing politicians are calling for the head of socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
They should really blame the French.
“The Iberian Peninsula is more of an energy island than Ireland,” said the Spanish energy secretary the week before the blackout, presciently pointing to the “very few interconnections with the rest of Europe.”
Little surprise given that France has long blocked the construction of massive cables – either across the Pyrenees, the Mediterranean, or the Bay of Biscay.
In 2014, Spain could cover just 3% of hourly demand by importing power from abroad. Recognising the weak point, EU leaders vowed that year to reach 10% for every country by 2020.
Today however, Spanish grid operator REE says its capacity to mainland Europe is just 2% – a regression that stems from French policies to shield its nuclear industry from cheap green power from the south.
It's a stance that has gone unsanctioned by Brussels, as few bureaucrats fancy a tussle with their Paris colleagues, despite the best efforts of politicians like Spanish socialist Teresa Ribera.
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