by Fabian Ommar, The Organic Prepper:
On Monday last week, a large-scale blackout kept almost all of Portugal, Spain, and parts of France in the dark for hours, affecting millions. Some local anomaly of still-unclear origin turned the issue regional thanks to the interconnectedness and centralization of the grid in the Peninsula Iberica.
The information released so far is confusing and obscure. As usual, the government isn’t being transparent in trying to avoid panic and further impact on the population and markets, which makes sense strategically.
TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/
In all likelihood, it was a combination of factors leading to a perfect storm, as is always the case in these events. There were speculations of a cyberattack. However, the blackout has all the marks of net-zero policies starting to impact the European grid somehow.
Though not unprecedented, the blackout is considered the worst in Spain’s history. Even though power was restored shortly and nothing significant occurred, some peculiarities, like the complete crash of phone service and internet, underscore the event’s severity.
These events present a warning and a series of lessons. The smart ones will heed both. Power outages can and do happen in real life, anywhere, so it doesn’t matter the whys or ifs, only what we do to prepare.
The economy portends major events in other areas.
Back in 2021, I wrote a post about the energy system. In it, I explained the grid’s functioning, the changes and movements currently underway in the energy sector, and how these could increase the system’s vulnerability.
I concluded with the following words: “Any change implies a period of uncertainties and, potentially, instabilities and disruptions, so we must be ready.” Maybe we should start publishing The OP posts in Spanish, but I digress.
Today, the power grid everywhere is vast, complex, and interconnected, with a multitude of parts and sources, including many of the new “green” varieties.
It’s a vital sector that sustains practically all aspects of modern civilization. Although the systems and their management are advanced and automated, their arrangement and interconnectedness make them vulnerable to cascading issues.
It’s interesting to note that the underlying cause is always related to the state of the economy. As it declines, so does almost everything else (including maintenance and investments), potentially leading to a series of minor and major SHTFs (that same dynamic happens on the personal level, too, and the reason why it’s essential to take care of one’s finances at all times).
History doesn’t repeat, but rhymes.
That’s a beat-up cliche but true nonetheless. As I argue in many of my articles and in the preface of my latest book (Household Preparedness Training, which deals precisely with this type of situation), blackouts—as well as shortages and rationings in general, strikes, oil and energy shocks, geopolitical conflicts, and others—were common and frequent during the 1970s and 1980s.
The present day shares many aspects with that period. Those of you over 40 or 50, like me, know what I’m talking about.
That’s the scenario I’ve been warning about and preparing for. The instability is as high as in those decades, if not higher, thus increasing the volatility and probability of disruptive events happening more frequently and becoming more impactful.
That doesn’t mean everything will happen the same way. A lot has changed since then, but the majority has occurred in technology, the supply chain, and the level of interconnectedness. Therefore, if things like blackouts, market shocks, strikes, and attacks on the infrastructure ramp up, the consequences could be even worse this time.
What would have happened if the blackout had lasted longer?
When power crashed in Spain and Portugal, people just chilled. There was no looting, no rioting, no spike in robberies, home invasions, rapes or any crime.
The Spanish are very chill, very civilized people. They just went out to the streets and into bars to chat, eat, drink, and enjoy the springtime weather.
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