‘Colossal blackout’ on Iberian Peninsula shows ‘how dependant our society has become on electricity’

Monday’s widespread power outage across Spain and Portugal left inaccessible and citizens stranded in stalled metros, trapped in lifts, and navigating dark buildings with only phone flashlights. The blackout, which struck around midday and lasted eight hours, halted daily life and forced some to take dramatic measures to reach safety. Across the Iberian Peninsula, the disruption was deeply felt. The disruption exposed deep vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure and raised urgent questions about the resilience of power grids amid rising demand. For deeper analysis, FRANCE 24’s Mark Owen welcomes Sophie Ubudasceanu, Energy Market Expert at the Independent Commodity Intelligence Services (ICIS).