Romanian energy experts take part in commission investigating historic blackout in Spain, Portugal
Two young Romanian energy specialists, one from Transelectrica, the operator of the national power system, and the other from the National Energy Regulatory Authority, were designated as members of the continental expert commission investigating the causes of the historic total blackout that affected Spain and Portugal.
The blackout took place on April 28, 2025 and lasted for around 10 hours. The commission was established shortly after the incident by the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E), an organization grouping 40 national transmission system operators, or TSOs, across Europe.
Part of the subcommittee of experts from is 35-year-old Adrian Mihai Constantin, shift chief dispatcher at Transelectrica. He graduated from Politehnica University of Bucharest in 2013, followed by a master’s degree in 2015. From 2020 to 2023, he was operations manager at the regional TSO coordination services company TSCNET Services GmbH, registered in Germany, according to Profit.ro.
From the regulators’ side, 38-year-old Alina Poantă, a veteran of 10 years at the Romanian ANRE, is also on the team of experts investigating the blackout. She graduated from Politehnica University of Bucharest in 2009, followed by a master’s degree in advanced energy systems (2011). She previously worked as an engineer at the Institute for Energy Studies and Design (ISPE, 2009–2013) and as head of the electrical department at green energy project developer GEP Renewables Romania (2013–2015).
The commission into Spain’s blackout will investigate the root causes of the incident, conduct a comprehensive analysis, and issue recommendations in its final investigative report. By the end of October 2025, the ENTSO-E investigation commission is scheduled to issue a preliminary report. The deadline for the final report is October 2026.
Not long ago, the Secretary General of Eurelectric, Kristian Ruby, stated at the Eurelectric Power Summit in Brussels that electricity distributors and producers in Europe do not have access to the data from the Iberian blackout investigation. He maintained that such data is paramount for Europe’s energy security.
(Photo source: Jaanall | Dreamstime.com)
