In the aftermath of a massive blackout that hit Spain and Portugal in April, some pundits were quick to blame wind and solar for the loss of power. But official inquiries have found that a shortfall in conventional power led to the outages.
Gas and nuclear power plants were on hand to fill in sudden gaps in generation. But on April 28, the gas generators failed to ramp up in time, according to two new reports, one from the grid operator, the other from the Spanish government. When demand suddenly outstripped supply, other power plants began disconnecting from the grid to avoid incurring damage.
“Had conventional power plants done their job in controlling the voltage, there would have been no blackout,” said Concha Sánchez, chief of operations for grid operator Redeia. The government says that Redeia itself is also at fault for not having enough conventional power plants switched on.
Spain currently draws 43 percent of its power from wind and solar. When, in 2016, South Australia was at the same level of wind and solar generation, it also endured a widespread blackout. With a few fixes, however, it has been able to further build out renewable power without destabilizing the grid.
Officials tweaked rules to give grid operators the leeway needed to intervene and avoid blackouts. And South Australia installed what was, at the time, the largest lithium-ion battery in the world, helping to balance supply and demand. The state now draws more than 70 percent of its power from wind and solar.
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