Before Blackout, Spain’s Power Grid Investment Lagged Solar Boom

Spain’s nationwide blackout this week is putting a spotlight on the potential vulnerabilities in its system that could offer lessons for other countries, as rapid electrification and the shift to clean energy place new demands on grids across the world.

Spain lags behind other European states in spending on the grid relative to renewables investment, according to an analysis by BloombergNEF. Its solar capacity has more than doubled in the past five years, producing frequent surges in generation that far surpass demand. Yet much of Spain’s grid equipment was built and installed decades ago, before the solar rollout.