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Red Eléctrica Holds Line on No Provisions as CNMC Opens ‘Very Serious’ Case

The outcome could reshape oversight of Spain’s power system.

Overview

  • Spain’s competition regulator opened a very serious sanctioning case against Red Eléctrica tied to the April 28, 2025 nationwide blackout, with potential fines of €6 million to €60 million and the probe still at an early stage.
  • Redeia, Red Eléctrica’s parent, said it booked no provisions in first‑quarter 2026 because it believes the operator followed the rules, and it plans to file a formal defense.
  • Iberdrola’s chair urged a split between Red Eléctrica’s grid ownership and its system‑control duties, arguing poor planning left too little synchronous generation online during the blackout.
  • Red Eléctrica has run a reinforced operating mode for about a year that keeps more gas plants ready to stabilize the grid, and it estimates this raised system costs by €666 million over eleven months that Iberdrola wants treated as regulated charges on bills.
  • The CNMC has launched about 61 proceedings across major energy firms over a two‑year window, with only Red Eléctrica and Iberdrola facing very serious cases, and Redeia reported a 43% jump in first‑quarter investment and €140.3 million in profit as the governance debate intensifies.