Commission has already put forward several suggestions.
By Thilo Schäfer, Madrid
Take a guess about who's under the microscope amidst the chaos on the Iberian Peninsula, almost a month after the power outage on April 28, 2025. Yep, you're right, it's none other than Beatriz Corredor, the Chairwoman of Redeia. Amidst mounting investigations by Entso-E, parliamentary committees, and more, she assures us, "We're the first ones eager to know the causes of the outage."
At a recent economic gathering, this 57-year-old Madrid native didn't hold back, sparring with the big shots of the power industry. Fingers are pointed in every direction, but politics may play a role—after all, Corredor is a former Socialist minister. Whilst Redeia is listed on the stock exchange and part of the Ibex 35, the government, controlling a 20% stake via Sepi, makes the calls. Previous conservative administrations also had their lads chairing Redeia, or Red Eléctrica Española, as it was known back in the day.
Corredor once served as Minister of Public Works during the Zapatero administration. She and Pedro Sánchez, the eventual head honcho, go back to their time on the Madrid city council. When Sánchez took the helm, he tapped Corredor as Redeia's brass, replacing Jordi Sevilla, another ex-socialist minister. Things soured between Sevilla and Teresa Ribera, who's now the EU's Competition Commissioner. They hoped Corredor would bring harmony between the grid operator and the Ministry of Energy.
Since the big blackout, Corredor's been copping flak. She remained tight-lipped for two days before breaking her silence. Later, she dismissed the possibility of a cyber attack. The government didn't trust her, initially investigating that angle, but no one's talking about that anymore.
This blackout has sparked debate about our energy mix. Corredor and the Minister for Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, call out the conservative opposition and the nuclear lobby for attempting to pin the incident on the growing share of renewable energy. "Our power system excels in integrating renewable sources," Corredor said last Monday on TVE. She assigns the blame to conventional power plant operators, hinting at possible mistakes from nuclear, gas, or hydro sources that triggered the blackout.
The weeks ahead will be tough for Corredor, facing grilling questions from committees and investigations about the outage. She initially got support from the government, but a reshuffle is planned for Redeia's annual general meeting on June 30. The smart money's on Corredor retaining her position.
In the midst of mounting investigations into the power outage on April 28, 2025, policy-and-legislation related to the energy sector and general-news have become central topics of discussion, particularly concerning Beatriz Corredor, the Chairwoman of Redeia. Amidst parliamentary committee investigations, entangled politics due to her past as a Socialist minister may impact the proceedings.
