Conference paper information

Data requirements, models, and simulation of an overvoltage-driven blackout: an academic perspective

F.M. Echavarren, E. Lobato, L. Rouco

IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting - IEEE PES GM 2026, Montreal (Canada). 19-23 July 2026

Summary:

At 12:33 on 28th April 2025, a blackout occurred in the Iberian electricity system. Sixty million people lost the electricity supply. This is the first time in the history of the Spanish peninsular electricity system that a blackout has occurred. It is only comparable in continental Europe in terms of severity to the blackout of the Italian system on September 28, 2003.

Although several factors and circumstances led to the blackout of the Iberian electricity system, according to the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-e), the most probable trigger was a cascading series of generation disconnections and voltage increases. In other words, it probably was an overvoltage-driven blackout.

This contribution will discuss, from an academic perspective, the data requirements, models, and simulation results for such a blackout. The proposed simulation method and the obtained results will not only characterize the observed phenomena during the blackout of the Iberian electricity system, but will also provide indicators of system security. Moreover, such indicators will be used to assess actions adopted before and after the blackout.

The contribution will also highlight indicators of voltage variability that led to initial generator disconnections.

Spanish layman's summary:

A las 12:33 del 28 de abril de 2025, se produjo un apagón en la red eléctrica ibérica. Este estudio analizará, desde una perspectiva académica, los requisitos de datos, los modelos y los resultados de las simulaciones utilizados para analizar un apagón de esta magnitud y proporcionar indicadores de seguridad del sistema.

English layman's summary:

At 12:33 on April 28, 2025, a blackout occurred on the Iberian electricity grid. This study will analyze, from an academic perspective, the data requirements, models, and simulation results used to analyze a blackout of this magnitude and provide indicators of system safety.

Publication date: 19-Jul-2026.

Citation:
F.M. Echavarren, E. Lobato, L. Rouco, "Data requirements, models, and simulation of an overvoltage-driven blackout: an academic perspective", presented at IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting - IEEE PES GM 2026, Montreal, Canada, 19-23 July 2026

Research topics:

Stability: Large disturbance stability, tuning of frequency loadshedding schemes, excitation control, small disturbance stability, tuning of power system stabilizers, identification of AVR and governor models
Steady-state: Load flows, analysis of power system constraints, optimal load flows, voltage control ancilliary service,short-circuits, protections in transmission and ditribution networks

Research groups:

Instituto de Investigación Tecnológica (IIT)
Innovación docente y Analytics (GIIDA)

ODS:

Goal 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

IIT-26-151C_abstract