EU available to help Portugal after blackout

BRUSSELS – The presidents of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the European Council, António Costa, spoke with the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, to whom they offered help from the European Union to identify the cause of Monday’s blackout and prevent similar occurrences in the future.

A spokesperson for the community executive emphasized, at the daily press conference, the need for greater preparedness for future blackouts, highlighting that the causes of what left Portugal and Spain in the dark are still unknown.

“I spoke with Prime Minister Luís Montenegro following the ‘blackout’ in the Iberian Peninsula. We will work together to help restore the electrical grid and provide assurances to citizens,” wrote Ursula von der Leyen on social media.
The President of the European Commission had already spoken with the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and assured his Portuguese counterpart that “energy security is crucial for the European Union.”
REN – National Energy Networks confirmed a widespread power supply cut across the Iberian Peninsula and announced that step-by-step restoration plans for energy supply are being activated.
The blackout occurred at 11:30 in Lisbon.

António Costa, for his part, assured that “the network operators in both countries are working to find the cause and to restore the electricity supply,” which has already happened in Portugal but not entirely in Spain.

A widespread power supply cut affected Portugal and Spain on Monday, starting at 11:30, and continues to lack explanation from the authorities.

Closed airports, congestion in transportation and traffic in major cities, and fuel shortages were some of the consequences of the “blackout.”

The electricity distribution network operator E-Redes assured this morning that the service is fully restored and normalized.