Spain and Portugal blackout blamed on solar power dependency

Last week, Spain and Portugal experienced a massive blackout that left between 50 and 60 million people without electricity for about 12 hours. Even parts of France and Andorra remained without electricity.

Spain’s solar plant will turn sun into fuel

When people think of solar energy, they picture panels that charge electric cars or homes. But in Southern Spain, something new is being developed. Spain is going to lead one of aviation’s biggest revolutions—and it all starts with the latest solar power plant. If this succeeds, it can change not only how we fly but also how we power entire industries in the future. A Swiss company… Source

The Paradox of Energy Networks: Stability and Risk

The phenomenon of negative electricity prices has become a reality across Europe, and with the rapid expansion of solar installations lacking sufficient storage capacity, this phenomenon is emerging everywhere. In early May, European energy prices saw a significant decline due to low demand and increased solar power generation. Off-peak intraday prices in Belgium, Germany, and […] The post The Paradox of Energy Networks: Stability and Risk appea…

Could Spain's Electricity Meltdown Be Coming to a State Near You?

Spain’s electricity supply went down last month due to cascading failures traced to faults in two solar plants in Spain’s southwest region, causing a blackout on the Iberian Peninsula. Americans should not be complacent because the North American Electric Reliability Corp., a nonprofit international regulatory authority, has warned that it might happen in the United States.   On April 28, the day of the Spanish meltdown, solar provided 59% of el…

ROFR in Retreat - R Street Institute

The last several years have seen a concerted push by electric utilities to eliminate competition from the transmission component of the electric grid. Depending on location, new electric transmission projects in the United States are either put out for bid to see who can build and maintain them at the most attractive price or summarily... The post ROFR in Retreat appeared first on R Street Institute.

Spain’s blackout and lessons for the Philippines - BusinessWorld Online

The big blackout that hit Spain, Portugal, and parts of southern France on April 28 starting 12:35 p.m. was a big blackeye to pushers of more intermittent renewables in the electrical grid. According to energy analyst Javier Blas’ data, at 12:30 p.m. of April 28, Spain’s generation mix was: solar (photovoltaic and thermal) 65.8%, wind 12%, nuclear 11.6%, cogeneration and waste 4.7%, and gas combined cycle 3.4%, likely working as an ancillary ser…