According to an official from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz has extended the deadline that was set to expire today for submitting the comprehensive technical analysis and independent evaluation requested from the Institute of Mobility and Transport, the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC), and the National Communications Authority (ANACOM) concerning the impact of the blackout on April 28 on the sectors of transport, civil aviation, and telecommunications.
The same government official explained that the delay is due to “the complexity of the matter and the need to consult various entities.” Therefore, the deadline for the reports requested by the government following the incident has been extended to June 6.
REN – Redes Energéticas Nacionais and E-Redes, which also requested extensions, have submitted their report on the April 28 power outage to the sector’s regulator (ERSE), classifying the event as “exceptional.” They request that it be considered as such.
The classification of the event could be crucial for potential compensation payments. If deemed exceptional, the obligation to compensate consumers might be reduced or nullified.
However, as ERSE indicated, the decision on the event’s classification will be public and well-founded. Given its stature as a European-scale incident, the decision might have to wait for the final report from the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E).
The blackout, labeled as “exceptional and severe,” originated in Spain and caused substantial electricity supply interruptions in Portugal, Spain, and parts of France. Preliminary investigations suggest a sudden loss of solar power generation as a potential cause, yet definitive conclusions are still pending.
The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity is investigating the causes of this blackout, categorized as exceptional and severe. This panel of experts must compile a factual report to serve as a foundation for the final report, due by October 28 of this year.
The final report on the investigation should be released no later than September 30, 2026. However, the Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, disclosed that the president of ENTSO-E is committed to making “the greatest effort” to expedite the investigation’s conclusions, which could be delivered within six months.
