Urgent measures to strengthen Spain's power grid after the blackout

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1. The CNMC (Spain's competition and markets regulator) must produce a report on compliance with voltage control obligations (within six months, updated quarterly) and an extraordinary inspection plan on grid restoration capacity (within twelve months, then every three years). The system operator will have between three and fifteen months to analyze and propose regulatory changes on oscillations, voltage change speed, power injection, balancing services, grid coordination and incident monitoring.
2. The system operator becomes the single access point for consumption data of all final customers, although this role will only start once the Government approves the implementing order.
3. Companies sharing evacuation infrastructure (the lines that carry power from a plant to the grid) must sign an agreement allocating responsibilities among them. If they do not submit it, responsibility is shared in proportion to each one's access capacity.
4. Energy storage gets a boost: storage facilities that feed power into the grid are declared of public utility, permitting for storage hybridized with renewable plants is streamlined (with deadlines cut in half and, in some cases, exemption from environmental assessment), they will get flexible access permits, and it is clarified that they do not count as consumers for connection purposes.
5. Demand response is strengthened: independent aggregators, companies that pool the consumption of several customers to sell flexibility in the markets, are regulated, and the figure of the self-consumption manager is created, representing consumers in a shared self-consumption setup. Consumers will be able to sign aggregation contracts without their supplier's consent.
6. The discount for energy-intensive industry is reinstated: from January 23 to December 31, 2025, companies holding an energy-intensive consumer certificate will get an 80% reduction on electricity transmission and distribution tolls. A 250 million euro credit is approved to compensate the CNMC.
7. Electrification is made easier: electrical infrastructure for charging stations above 3,000 kW is exempt from permits in certain cases, homeowners' associations will be able to approve heat pumps and geothermal systems with one third of owners, and local governments may grant rebates of up to 50% on property tax (IBI) and up to 95% on construction tax (ICIO) for installing these systems.
8. Renewable project deadlines are adjusted: if a court or administrative precautionary measure suspends the permits, the clock on the administrative milestones stops. In addition, an exceptional window opens for many projects to request an extension of the fifth milestone (the provisional operating permit for testing) up to a maximum of 8 years, and pumped hydro projects can reach 12 years.

Who it affects

• Power companies, generators and the system operator: Will face CNMC reports and inspections and new penalties if they fail to meet voltage control obligations.
• Electricity consumers: Will be able to access their consumption data through a single point, hire independent aggregators and use a self-consumption manager.
• Certified energy-intensive industry: Will receive an 80% discount on transmission and distribution tolls until December 31, 2025.
• Renewable and storage developers: Permitting for storage, repowering and new renewable projects is streamlined, with shorter deadlines and new windows to meet milestones.
• Homeowners' associations and local governments: Will be able to approve heat pumps and geothermal systems with one third of owners and benefit from IBI and ICIO tax rebates.

Words worth knowing

Cero de tensión

Blackout: total loss of voltage in the power system, as on April 28, 2025.

Peaje de acceso

Access toll: the part of the electricity bill that pays for using the transmission and distribution grids.

Agregador independiente

Independent aggregator: a company that pools several consumers to sell their flexibility (for example, cutting usage when needed) in the electricity markets.

Autoconsumo

Self-consumption: an installation, usually solar, that produces energy for a home's or business's own use.

Hito administrativo

Administrative milestone: a deadline renewable projects must meet to complete specific steps (such as obtaining the operating permit); missing it means the permits expire.

It summarizes the law as published in the BOE. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries