Spain and Portugal called Wednesday on the European Union to urgently strengthen electrical interconnections between the Iberian Peninsula and France to avoid a repeat of a major power blackout the two nations suffered last month.
One of Europe's biggest-ever power cuts disrupted millions in Spain and Portugal on April 28, cutting phone and internet access, halting trains and plunging cities into darkness.
The two countries have a highly integrated energy grid that is linked to the rest of Europe through a small number of cross-border connections with France.
In a letter to EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen, obtained by AFP, Spain's Ecological Transition Minister Sara Aagesen and Portugal's Energy Minister Maria da Graca Carvalho called for a "renewed political impetus" to advance stalled energy infrastructure projects.
The outage "showed the importance of interconnectivity within the European electricity system in critical situations," the ministers wrote.
Despite some progress, the ministers said the region remains poorly connected to the broader European network and urged Brussels to "accelerate the completion" of cross-border power links.
Strong "political and financial commitment" is essential to integrate the Iberian Peninsula more fully into the EU energy system, they said.
Lisbon and Madrid have repeatedly accused France of dragging its feet on new projects. Some officials have suggested Paris seeks to protect its nuclear power sector from imports of cheaper Iberian renewable energy.
No firm cause for last month's power outage has been given.
One of Europe's biggest-ever power cuts disrupted millions in Spain and Portugal on April 28, cutting phone and internet access, halting trains and plunging cities into darkness.
The two countries have a highly integrated energy grid that is linked to the rest of Europe through a small number of cross-border connections with France.
In a letter to EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen, obtained by AFP, Spain's Ecological Transition Minister Sara Aagesen and Portugal's Energy Minister Maria da Graca Carvalho called for a "renewed political impetus" to advance stalled energy infrastructure projects.
The outage "showed the importance of interconnectivity within the European electricity system in critical situations," the ministers wrote.
Despite some progress, the ministers said the region remains poorly connected to the broader European network and urged Brussels to "accelerate the completion" of cross-border power links.
Strong "political and financial commitment" is essential to integrate the Iberian Peninsula more fully into the EU energy system, they said.
Lisbon and Madrid have repeatedly accused France of dragging its feet on new projects. Some officials have suggested Paris seeks to protect its nuclear power sector from imports of cheaper Iberian renewable energy.
No firm cause for last month's power outage has been given.
You may also like
Lawyers skip vacation work, judiciary gets backlog blame: CJI B R Gavai
Ange Postecoglou insists everyone misinterpreted infamous 'second season' quote
Jamie Carragher and Roy Keane both agree on Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham future
Tottenham pundit names five players crucial in their Europa League final triumph
Nightmare for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as Montecito 'rocked by crime' - including dogging
