Here’s the translation to American English:
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Last Monday, at 12:30 AM, Spain experienced an unprecedented blackout that paralyzed the country. Although the power supply began to be restored in the afternoon, many families were forced to spend the night in the dark. The recovery was a gradual process, culminating in the restoration of 99.95% of energy demand by the next morning.
According to Itziar Zubia Olaskoaga, a professor at the School of Engineering in Gipuzkoa-Donostia at the University of the Basque Country, the disparity in the recovery of the supply was due to the suitability of the available power plants. Hydroelectric and gas plants proved to be the most effective for this type of emergency, although they require supporting infrastructure for activation. To address the crisis, the French power grid and the connection with Morocco were utilized, allowing the restoration of service to occur from the borders inward into the peninsula.
The prolonged recovery time sparked a debate about its management. In many areas, the return of electricity stretched for several hours, as it is essential to balance electricity generation with consumption to avoid another system collapse. This situation was further complicated by significant differences in service restoration between nearby towns and even within the same city. The transformation centers, which connect homes to the grid, played a crucial role; if one neighbor regained electricity before another, it was likely because their homes depended on different connection points.
Additionally, the prioritization of recovering certain electrical centers, based on the number of consumers or their proximity to generating plants, was also evident in the process. Without the interconnections with foreign networks, the situation could have been even more critical. Protections at Spain’s borders prevented the problem from spreading to France and the rest of Europe, leaving Spain in an exceptionally vulnerable position. This crisis highlighted the importance of interconnections in managing energy emergencies.
via: MiMub in Spanish