Meanwhile, Spain and Portugal are acting fast to increase their energy connections with France. This move comes after the largest power outage in history that swept the Iberian Peninsula in April of 2025. The two countries have officially requested assistance from the European Union. They want to build new electricity interconnectors to strengthen their weak links with greater Europe.
The power outage exposed just how fragile the Iberian energy system really was. Unlike France, which is largely powered by nuclear energy, Iberia’s electricity comes primarily from renewable sources. This reality has highlighted the critical need for Spain and Portugal to be better interconnected. Iberia’s interconnection share with the rest of Europe is only 3% right now. This is well below the EU’s own ambitious target of 15% by 2030.
In response to these challenges, Spanish Energy Minister Sara Aagesen and Portuguese Energy Minister Maria da Graca Carvalho sent a letter to EU officials, proposing a ministerial meeting before the end of 2025. The goal is to create a plan with clear short- and long-term goals that includes concrete, interim steps for increasing interconnection with France.
France’s grid operator, RTE, recently completed a feasibility study on building two more interconnections over the Pyrenees. With little movement on these projects to date, alarm bells began going off among Spanish and Portuguese officials. RTE’s report emphasized the essential role of EU financing for these improvements. It called on member states to work together to ensure its implementation.
“A firm political and financial commitment is needed, at all levels, to ensure the swift and effective integration of the Iberian Peninsula into the EU energy system.” – Sara Aagesen and Maria da Graca Carvalho
The continuing development of a previously-existing interconnector between France and Spain, with completion expected in 2025. In addition, a new underwater power line across the Bay of Biscay is under construction and scheduled to start operations by 2028. These developments are significant as both countries hope to strengthen their energy security and move away from reliance on more carbon-heavy sources of energy.
Aagesen and Carvalho stressed the importance of prioritizing these initiatives:
“Accelerating the completion of electricity interconnections with the Iberian Peninsula must be placed among the highest priorities.” – Sara Aagesen and Maria da Graca Carvalho
Indeed, both countries are working hand in hand on how to make energy integration happen across Europe. Their joint actions illustrate a powerful dedication to improving energy resilience across their diverse region. The proposed ministerial meeting aims to foster dialogue among stakeholders and ensure timely progress towards achieving their energy objectives.