On April 28, 2025, lights went out across Spain, Portugal, and even parts of France.
Millions were left in the dark, and the cause?
According to grid operator Red Eléctrica, the problem likely started with a massive drop in solar power generation — about 15 gigawatts lost in just five seconds. That’s enough to power several million homes.
If you’re a conservative who’s been warning about the risks of relying too heavily on renewable energy, this was the moment you’ve been pointing to.’
Let’s call it:
The first big blackout of the green electricity era
(Below my notes from the conference call the Spanish grid operator held earlier today with reporters. I added extra information from my initial post, and corrected a location: it was the south-west). 1/2 pic.twitter.com/6HeTYcoPEM
— Javier Blas (@JavierBlas) April 29, 2025
Let’s talk about what really happened — and why it matters here in the U.S.
The Solar Domino That Took Down the Grid
Here’s what went down, literally: Spain has been moving fast toward green energy.
On April 22 — just six days before the blackout — they proudly hit 100% renewable energy for a few hours. But by April 28, that fragile setup collapsed.
The power loss started with solar plants in southwestern Spain, triggering a domino effect.
Spain’s connection to the broader European grid is already weak — just 2.8% of capacity, far below the EU’s 15% target.
That meant there wasn’t enough backup support when the solar production tanked.
The grid frequency dipped to 49.85 Hz, just a hair above the 49.5 Hz threshold that would’ve triggered a full-scale blackout across Europe.
That’s how close they came to a continent-wide power failure.
Conservatives Have Been Saying This All Along
In the U.S., conservatives have long raised concerns about the rush to renewables — and this is exactly why.
According to a 2024 Pew Research Center survey, 59% of Republicans believe shifting to green energy will make the electrical grid less reliable.
After what just happened in Spain, can you blame them?
This blackout is being seen by many as a preview of what could happen in the U.S. if we continue pushing unreliable energy sources without proper backup.
An X post by energy analyst Jason Hayes brought up the 2021 Texas blackout, where wind and solar took the blame for not pulling their weight when the system failed.
Whether it’s Texas or Spain, the same issue keeps popping up: renewables fail when you need them most.
It’s Not Just About Keeping The Lights On
Let’s talk dollars and cents.
The estimated economic damage from Spain’s blackout is between €2.25 and €4.5 billion — that’s roughly $2.5 to $5 billion in U.S. terms.
Businesses shut down. Transport systems froze. Families were left without power or communication.
That kind of financial hit would be devastating to an economy like ours — especially one already dealing with inflation, high energy prices, and fragile supply chains.
The Politics Behind the Power
Spain’s government has been aggressively shutting down nuclear plants and betting everything on solar and wind.
Sound familiar?
It’s not so different from what the Left wants to do in America.
Just look at the Green New Deal, which aims to phase out fossil fuels and nuclear in favor of wind, solar, and “clean” energy.
Conservatives have long said this is a recipe for disaster — and now Spain is offering Exhibit A.
Even Spain’s conservative opposition leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, slammed the government’s handling of energy policy, saying they’ve ignored common-sense energy sources like nuclear in their rush to virtue-signal on climate.
Fossil Fuels Aren’t the Enemy — They’re the Backbone
The conservative argument isn’t anti-renewable. It’s pro-reliability.
According to Pew, most Republicans support a mix of energy sources, including renewables. But when push comes to shove, they know we can’t afford to shut down oil, gas, or nuclear while we experiment with unproven, intermittent sources.
When solar generation drops off — whether because of a cloud bank or a system failure — you need something stable to keep the lights on.
Fossil fuels and nuclear do that.
Wind and solar? Not so much.
The Broader Debate: Who Do You Trust With Your Power?
Some liberal commentators are already trying to spin the Spain blackout as “a one-off” or something that could’ve been prevented with more grid connections or battery storage.
Maybe so. But we don’t live in the world of “what if.”
We live in the world of right now — and right now, solar and wind are still unreliable, and the infrastructure to support them just isn’t there yet.
Conservatives aren’t saying “no” to renewables. They’re saying “not like this.” Not without a safety net. Not while you shut down the energy sources that actually work.
This Wasn’t a Fluke — It Was a Forecast
Spain’s blackout didn’t come out of nowhere. It was the natural result of energy policies built more on politics than practicality.
For American conservatives, this isn’t just a European story. It’s a warning.
If we follow the same green energy playbook, we’re going to face the same consequences — only on a bigger scale.
The lights went out in Spain. Let’s make sure they don’t go out here, too.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
