- The royal decree seeks more resilience and stability in the power system after the 28 April blackout.
- It promotes hybrid storage and the repowering of existing installations.
- It tasks the CNMC with reports and an inspection plan, and reinforces supervision of market players.
The Official State Gazette of 6 November 2025 published Royal Decree 997/2025, of 5 November, approving urgent measures to strengthen the electricity system. The rule, which entered into force the following day, stems from the power crisis of 28 April and seeks to increase the resilience, robustness and stability of the grid, while moving towards a more decarbonised system.
It arrives three and a half months after Congress rejected the decree-law with which the Government had tried to strengthen the system. As a royal decree, it cannot amend laws, but it can develop existing regulation in areas such as storage, hybridisation of installations, repowering and the access and connection to the grid of demand installations. That route avoids the ratification step, but it limits the scope of what can be regulated, so some matters will remain pending a law.
What measures it includes
According to analyses by specialist law firms, the royal decree promotes storage and its hybridisation with generation facilities, and eases repowering, that is, increasing the capacity of existing installations. The authorisation framework for storage integrates the substantive authorisation of projects with the environmental impact assessment procedure, with the idea of speeding up procedures.
It also deals with the access and connection of demand installations, that is, large consumers such as industry, which compete for grid capacity with generators. And it reinforces supervision: the CNMC must publish a report on voltage control three months after entry into force and prepare an extraordinary inspection plan at nine months.
Why voltage matters
Voltage control is the system’s ability to keep electrical voltage within safe margins at every point of the grid. When it fails, protections disconnect installations to avoid damage, and those disconnections can cascade. It is one of the central technical issues in the debate after the blackout, which is why the report entrusted to the CNMC and the reinforced supervision are key pieces of this reform. Keeping it stable is a continuous task for operators and generators, and requires equipment and procedures that regulators can verify.
For companies, the practical consequence is greater demands on market players and more data transparency. Whoever operates connected installations can expect more checks and reporting obligations, while whoever promotes storage or repowering will, in principle, have a clearer and more predictable administrative path. The three- and nine-month deadlines set for the CNMC also mark a calendar worth following, because new requirements may follow from its conclusions.
What to review
Developers of storage, renewables and repowering should review their projects in the light of the new authorisation framework and check which deadlines and procedures change. Large consumers planning to expand their connection should study how access for demand installations is now processed and what capacity is available in their area. It is also worth looking at connection and supply contracts in force, in case the new rules affect their terms or deadlines.
For all other companies, the blackout still recalls the essentials: a continuity plan, energy backup for critical processes and suitable insurance. The royal decree improves the grid, but it does not guarantee that there will never be another failure. Consult your adviser to assess your exposure and the regulatory changes that affect you.
Strengthening the grid is a public task; securing business continuity remains your own.
This article is general information. It is not legal, tax or investment advice, and it does not take anyone’s particular circumstances into account.
