Spain’s National Commission on Markets and Competition, CNMC, has announced a revision of technical standards that govern the specifics of the country’s voltage control service, essential for the functioning of the electrical system.
The change follows a government report on the massive blackout that affected Spain and Portugal on 28 April 2025, identifying a surge in voltage as its immediate cause, as reported by Reuters.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The updated rules now provide a consistent approach to the services provided by both renewable energy facilities and other generating plants.
The previous framework, which was more than 25 years old, limited voltage control capabilities largely to thermal and hydraulic generation facilities.
The revision encourages all facilities, including renewable and conventional, to supply the system operator with the necessary resources for voltage control.
The facilities are still required to deliver the fundamental service and may also engage in the provision of voltage control by adhering to the system operator’s directives.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataThis revision injects dynamism into the voltage control service and encourages capacity development to enhance resources across all generation and demand-side technologies.
Local markets will be established for contracting extra capacity, thereby increasing the efficiency of the service.
A market mechanism has been established for the allocation of additional reactive power capacity, which incentivises investment in voltage control capabilities beyond those required for the basic service.
Approved in mid-June 2025 amidst ongoing debates over accountability for the outage, the reforms align with proposals made by REE in 2021.
A government report has concluded that REE’s incorrect calculation for an adequate energy mix led to the blackout, but REE’s owner Redeia disputes these claims and blames conventional power plants for failing to maintain adequate voltage levels.
