Panel: Power System Transition and Blackouts – Sources, Characteristics and Mittigation

The ongoing transition of power systems towards decarbonization, digitalization, and decentralization isfundamentally reshaping the way electricity is generated, transmitted, and consumed. While thistransformation is essential for achieving climate goals, it also introduces new vulnerabilities andoperational complexities that must be carefully managed. Recent widespread blackouts have highlightedthe urgency of this issue. In June 2024, a major disturbance led to cascading outages across Albania,Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia, significantly impacting millions of users and exposingcoordination gaps in the regional system. Most recently, on April 28, 2025, the Iberian Peninsulaexperienced a severe blackout, raising further concerns about the resilience of interconnected Europeangrids.
This panel session will examine the root causes and technical characteristics of these and other blackoutevents, with particular attention to system protection issues, operational planning challenges, and thebehavior of inverter-based resources under stress conditions. Discussions will address the evolving natureof risks in a power system dominated by renewables, the implications of reduced system inertia, and theincreasing role of data and real-time situational awareness in grid management.
Bringing together experts from transmission system operators, regulatory bodies, academia, and thepower industry, the session will also explore mitigation strategies, including the revision of grid codes,improved dynamic stability assessments, regional cooperation mechanisms, and investment in gridflexibility and automation. Special focus will be placed on the importance of coordinated planning andresponse capabilities at both national and European levels.
The session aims to provide a platform for knowledge exchange and to identify actionable insights forenhancing system resilience as we navigate the complex path of the power system transition.