Fact check: The power outage in Spain is a warning. Right now the UK is importing 21% of our electricity — as renewables are only producing 13%. This net zero madness must end and only Reform will do that.

1. Summary of the results

The statement references a real and significant power outage that affected Spain, Portugal, and parts of France, impacting approximately 60 million people ^[1]. However, the claim about UK's current electricity imports and renewable energy production cannot be verified from the provided sources. The outage was indeed unprecedented in scale for the Iberian peninsula ^[2], and by evening, power had been restored to about 50% of Spain and 750,000 customers in Portugal ^[3].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several crucial pieces of context are missing from the original statement:

• Cause of the Outage: Experts explicitly dismissed claims that renewables were responsible for the power failure, noting there was "sufficient conventional generation available" ^[2]. The issue appears to have involved a power connection between France and Spain ^[4].
• UK Energy Independence: Contrary to suggesting vulnerability, the UK has actually become more energy independent over the past decade. Dependency on imported fuels has decreased from 65% in 2014 to just under 50% in 2024, largely thanks to wind and solar power ^[5].
• Technical Nature: Dr. Keith Bell emphasized that power system reliability is about proper engineering, regardless of the energy source used ^[2].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The statement contains several misleading elements and appears politically motivated:

• Political Agenda: Reform UK, which benefits from anti-renewable sentiment, has branded renewable energy as a "massive con" and advocates for taxing the renewable sector ^[6].
• False Correlation: The statement attempts to link Spain's power outage with renewable energy, despite expert testimony explicitly rejecting this connection ^[2].
• Cherry-picked Data: While claiming high import dependency, the statement ignores the significant improvement in UK's energy independence over the past decade due to renewable energy ^[5].
• Financial Interests: Those opposing net-zero policies, including Reform UK, often benefit from maintaining fossil fuel dependency, while evidence suggests renewables are actually helping to stabilize energy bills and improve energy security ^[5].