Dr. Andrew W. Thompson Quoted in a Recent E&E News Article on the Iberian Peninsula Blackout
Energy Associate Dr. Andrew W. Thompson was quoted in a recent E&E News article on the Iberian Peninsula Blackout. The article provides a brief overview of the known causes at this time and notes how the blackout was the result of a series of operational and engineering challenges instead of a single generation unit’s fault.
Dr. Thompson noted that, in addition to the other causes, some gas, hydro, and nuclear plants that were paid to provide voltage control services failed to do so as contracted, which contributed to the overvoltage conditions on the grid that were the primary cause of the blackout. He also noted, “This certainly is an example of the need for better standards” for thermal generation and inverter-based resources (IBRs) in Spain and for the new grid operations procedures that will be necessary in systems with high penetrations of IBRs.
The E&E News article, “Spain’s big blackout: A cautionary tale for US grid managers,” is available below.
