At 12:30 p.m. on April 28th, all of Spain found itself in a sudden and extensive blackout, which also affected Portugal and the south of France shortly after. Millions of people were left without electricity – some stuck in elevators, others in the metro – surrounded by darkness and uncertainty. One minute, life was normal; the next, everyone was lining up at ATMs, hoping to gather cash for their meals. Shops could not lower their shutters, and those with electric stoves could not cook.
Airports faced long delays as the loss of power disrupted communication services, and public transportation systems were forced to stop because traffic lights were not working. Cities were plunged into extreme confusion. Telecommunications were also disrupted, preventing many from accessing the internet for news updates or texting their loved ones to reassure them.
For the entire day, the exact cause of the blackout remained unknown. On the radio, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced, “Specialists have not been able to determine what caused the sudden power outage, but they will. This has never happened before.”
So, how did Spanish citizens react? With no work, it was time for beers. Plazas filled with people dancing, singing, and drinking, as if celebrating a holiday from the never-ending stress of work and school.
However, even during the celebrations, the Red Eléctrica de España worked tirelessly to restore electricity. As evening approached, the mood became less joyful; fears of looting began to rise. With no electricity, there were no alarms, no security cameras, and many shops could not lock up, making it easy for looting to occur in major cities like Madrid.
By 8:35 p.m., Madrid and another 35.1% of Spain had power restored, and for smaller cities, full restoration was achieved by early the next morning.
Although it was a fun escape for some, the blackout clearly sparked debates about the lack of stability in the country’s power grid, specifically the Iberian one. Concerns grew regarding the integration of renewable sources, especially since, at the time of the outage, most of the electricity generation in the Iberian region came from renewables. However, many government officials emphasised that the blackout was not solely caused by this, and further investigations would follow.
How was it for IE University students in Segovia? It was a beautiful sunny day. Some sunbathed on balconies, while others spent hours socializing in Plaza Mayor with drinks. With no phones, all one could do was be around people, showcasing how necessary it is to disconnect from our devices every now and then and appreciate the world around us. It felt like stepping back 50 years. Without phones, we simply talked to each other. I remember the smiles on everyone’s faces, the laughter and giggles with friends under the sun.
I must admit, when the sun went down and Segovia still had no electricity at 11 p.m., Juan Bravo, cloaked in darkness, felt a bit haunted. But we are young, and everyone was just running around with music, unserious as always.
As serious as it is for the Spanish government to ensure that their power grids and services are safe and controlled, it was definitely a fun experience for us living here. Disconnecting from our devices for one day? It could become a yearly event!
