Electricity Grid Review 2025: Spain

January 1 - December 31, 2024 vs 2025

Data coverage: 366 days (2024), 365 days (2025)

1. Electricity Price (Day-Ahead, EUR/MWh)

Mean 2024
€63.2
Mean 2025
€66.3
+€3.1
Monthly Average Day-Ahead Price
EUR/MWh
1501209060300JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
20242025
Price-Carbon Correlation

Correlation coefficient: -0.86 (2024), -0.70 (2025). Strong negative correlation - higher renewable generation = lower prices, reflecting the merit order effect.

1.1 Daily Price Extremes

Based on daily average prices

Metric20242025
Highest Daily Avg146.5 (Dec 12, 2024)145.1 (Jan 20, 2025)
Lowest Daily Avg0.4 (Apr 05, 2024)1.5 (Apr 19, 2025)
Negative Price Days00
Negative Price Hours244477

1.2 Hourly Price Extremes

Metric20242025
Highest Price193.0 (Nov 5, 2024 17:00)255.0 (Sep 17, 2025 19:00)
Lowest Price-2.0 (Jun 16, 2024 09:00)-15.0 (May 11, 2025 14:00)

1.3 Days by Price Range

Based on daily average prices

Range (/MWh)20242025Δ
0-50141124-17
51-100155183+28
101-1507058-12
151-200000
201+000

1.4 Hours by Price Range

Based on hourly prices

Range (/MWh)20242025Δ
Negative244477+233
€0-502,8252,652-173
€51-1002,9012,696-205
€101-1502,0312,157+126
€151-200170260+90
€201+023+23

1.5 Average Price by Hour of Day

2025 Average Price by Hour
€/MWh
116733000:0004:0008:0012:0016:0020:00115.530.0

1.6 Price Distribution (Hourly)

Price Distribution
Number of hours at each level
137110286863430050100150200250€/MWhHours
20242025
Negative Price Events

477 hours with negative prices across 94 days. Most negative: -15.0/MWh.

Intraday Price Volatility

Average daily price swing: 98/MWh. Maximum single-day swing was 228/MWh on 2025-09-17 (low: 27, high: 255).

Notable monthly evolutions

⚠️ Feb-Mar 2025: Electricity prices were 172% higher than Feb-Mar 2024

Change: +172% vs 2024

Possible explanation: Wind output dropped 44% YoY in February 2025 due to low wind conditions across Spain, forcing a 44% increase in gas-fired generation to compensate. This coincided with higher electricity demand during cold weather. [Data: wind: 5.4 GW (-44% YoY); gas: 5.6 GW (+44% YoY); price: €109/MWh (+173% YoY)]

1.7 Multi-Level Price Heatmap

Price Heatmap

€/MWh

67.1 €/MWh yearly avg

hourly range: -15-255

Yearly

Yearly heatmap

Monthly

Monthly heatmap

Daily

Daily heatmap

Hourly

Hourly heatmap
600
175
-250

2. Load

Load 2024
229.6 TWh
Load 2025
234.5 TWh
+2.2%
Production 2024
242.4 TWh
Production 2025
250.2 TWh
+3.2%

2.1 Average Load by Hour of Day

31.215.60
00:0006:0012:0018:0023:00
Load Pattern

Peak demand at 19:00 (31.2 GW). Minimum at 03:00 (21.4 GW).

2.2 Weekday vs Weekend

Weekday Average
27.8 GW
Weekend Average
24.1 GW

2.3 Net Load Pattern (Duck Curve)

Net Load Pattern (excl. Solar & Wind)
GW
3119600:0004:0008:0012:0016:0020:00bellypeakLoadSolar+WindNet Load
Solar Integration Challenge

Evening ramp of 11.9 GW from belly (13:00) to evening peak (19:00). This requires flexible dispatchable generation or storage to meet rapidly increasing demand as solar output decreases.

2.4 Peak & Minimum Demand Records (2025)

RankHighest LoadDateLowest LoadDate
139324.6 GW2025-01-15 19:008924.7 GW2025-04-28 12:00
239133.4 GW2025-01-16 19:009214.3 GW2025-04-28 11:00
338921.0 GW2025-01-15 20:009673.5 GW2025-04-28 13:00

2.5 April 28, 2025: Iberian Peninsula Blackout

Historic Grid Event

At 12:33 CEST on April 28, 2025, Spain and Portugal experienced the largest blackout in European history in over two decades. The peninsular grid lost 15 GW of generation capacity in just 5 seconds — 60% of demand at that moment. Power was interrupted for approximately 10 hours across most of the Iberian Peninsula, with full grid restoration taking nearly 16 hours. The Canary Islands and Balearic Islands (~3 GW combined) were unaffected as they operate on separate grids.

08162432~3 GW (Canary + Balearic Islands - unaffected)12:33 CEST: 15 GW lostPeninsular grid collapsed in 5 sec00:0004:0008:0012:0016:0020:0023:00Hour (UTC) — April 28, 2025Total Spain Load (GW)Apr 28 (Blackout)Apr 21 (Normal)Islands (unaffected)
TimelineEvent
12:33 CESTGrid collapse begins - frequency drops to 48 Hz
12:33:24Complete system collapse - HVDC lines to France disconnect
12:44First France-Spain 400 kV line re-energized
13:04Spain-Morocco interconnection restored
~18:00Power restored to parts of Madrid and Lisbon
04:00 (Apr 29)Full transmission grid restoration in Spain
Impact on Data

The blackout is clearly visible in our hourly load data: total Spain consumption dropped from 25.1 GW at 09:00 UTC to just 9.2 GW at 11:00 UTC. The ~9 GW floor represents the unaffected island grids (~3 GW) plus partial peninsular restoration during that hour. The actual peninsular load dropped to near zero. Daily average load on April 28 was 17.6 GW vs 23.0 GW the following day. Post-blackout, Spain increased gas-fired generation by 37% to enhance grid stability, contributing to higher carbon intensity in subsequent months.

3. Production-Based vs Flow-Traced Carbon Intensity (gCO₂eq/kWh)

Key Insight

Production-based carbon intensity is 2.0g higher than flow-traced carbon intensity in 2024 (1.6g in 2025). This means Spain's imports are cleaner than domestic production, lowering the carbon footprint of consumed electricity.

Production-Based 2024
126.1 g
Production-Based 2025
133.6 g
+7.5
Flow-Traced 2024
124.1 g
Flow-Traced 2025
132.1 g
+8.0

3.1 Production Mix (Domestic Generation)

2024 Production
24%
22%
19%
18%
13%
2025 Production
22%
21%
21%
21%
12%

3.2 Flow-Traced Power Mix

2024 Flow-Traced
23%
23%
17%
17%
13%
2025 Flow-Traced
22%
21%
20%
19%
12%
Nuclear
Hydro
Wind
Solar
Biomass
Gas
Coal
Oil
Hydro Storage
Battery

3.3 Import/Export Impact on Mix

Spain produces no hydro storage power locally, but ~3% of consumed electricity comes from hydro storage imports.

3.4 Power Mix Comparison

Production vs Flow-Traced consumption by source

SourceProd 2024Flow-traced 2024Prod 2025Flow-traced 2025
Wind24.3%23.3%22.3% (-2.0pp)21.6% (-1.7pp)
Nuclear21.6%22.7%20.8% (-0.8pp)21.3% (-1.4pp)
Gas17.5%16.9%20.9% (+3.4pp)20.3% (+3.4pp)
Solar19.5%17.3%21.0% (+1.5pp)18.8% (+1.5pp)
Hydro13.2%13.3%12.1% (-1.1pp)12.2% (-1.1pp)
Hydro Storage0.4%2.9%0.1% (-0.3pp)3.1% (+0.2pp)
Biomass2.2%2.1%2.1% (-0.1pp)2.1% (+0.0pp)
Coal1.2%1.2%0.5% (-0.7pp)0.5% (-0.7pp)
Oil0.1%0.1%0.1% (+0.0pp)0.1% (+0.0pp)

3.5 Key Trend

Wind Share (Flow-Traced)

Spain's electricity consumption is led by ~21.6% wind. Gas saw the biggest growth from 16.9% to 20.3%.

4. Cross-Border Electricity Flows

Total Exports 2025
23.47 TWh
-2.0%
Total Imports 2025
8.08 TWh
+32.8%
Net Position 2025
+15.38 TWh
Spain: Net Electricity Exporter

Spain exported a net 15.38 TWh in 2025.

4.1 2025 Gross Exports (Spain → Neighbor)

Total electricity exported to each country — with average carbon intensity

PT
10.66 TWh
130g
FR
6.81 TWh
115g
MA
3.81 TWh
131g
ES-IB-MA
1.49 TWh
132g
AD
0.22 TWh
132g

4.2 2025 Gross Imports (Neighbor → Spain)

Total electricity imported from each country — with average carbon intensity

FR
5.84 TWh
28g
PT
1.92 TWh
92g
MA
0.18 TWh
576g

4.3 Net Position by Neighbor (2025)

NeighborNet (TWh)Direction
PT+8.74Net Exporter
MA+3.63Net Exporter
ES-IB-MA+1.49Net Exporter
FR+0.97Net Exporter
AD+0.22Net Exporter

Positive = Spain is net exporter to that neighbor. Negative = Spain is net importer from that neighbor.

4.4 Flow Pattern by Hour of Day

Cross-Border Flow Pattern by Hour
MW (positive = export, negative = import)
+4GW0-4GW00:0006:0012:0018:0023:00
Net ExportNet Import
Cross-Border Flow Timing

Peak exports at 14:00 (3.6 GW avg). Peak imports at 19:00 (0.1 GW avg).

5. Carbon Intensity (gCO₂eq/kWh)

Mean 2024
124.1 g
Mean 2025
132.1 g
+8.0
Monthly Average Carbon Intensity
gCO₂eq/kWh (flow-traced)
20016012080400JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
20242025

5.1 Daily Records

Metric20242025
Lowest Carbon Intensity61.7 g (Feb 10, 2024)61.1 g (Jan 28, 2025)
Lowest Fossil %7.8% (Feb 10, 2024)7.4% (Jan 28, 2025)
Highest Carbon Intensity293.7 g (Dec 11, 2024)235.7 g (Jan 20, 2025)
Highest Fossil %49.7% (Dec 11, 2024)40.2% (Oct 14, 2025)

5.2 Hourly Records

Metric20242025
Lowest Carbon Intensity53.3 g (Mar 8, 2024 09:00)51.3 g (Jan 27, 2025 21:00)
Highest Carbon Intensity319.8 g (Dec 11, 2024 06:00)305.2 g (Oct 15, 2025 03:00)

5.3 Days Below Thresholds

Threshold20242025Δ
< 100 gCO₂eq/kWh10549-56
< 200 gCO₂eq/kWh348353+5
< 300 gCO₂eq/kWh366365-1

5.4 Hours Below Thresholds

Threshold20242025Δ
< 100 gCO₂eq/kWh3,4522,463-989
< 200 gCO₂eq/kWh8,0857,978-107
< 300 gCO₂eq/kWh8,7688,757-11

5.5 Average Carbon Intensity by Hour of Day

2025 Average Carbon Intensity by Hour
gCO₂eq/kWh
1611279400:0004:0008:0012:0016:0020:00161.193.7

5.6 Carbon Intensity Distribution (Hourly)

Carbon Intensity Distribution
Number of hours at each level
11688765842920100200300gCO₂eq/kWhHours
20242025

Notable monthly evolutions

ℹ️ Feb 2025: Carbon intensity was 30% higher in Feb

Change: +30% vs Feb 2024

Possible explanation: Wind capacity factor reached an all-time low in 2025. February saw wind output drop 44% YoY, requiring 44% more gas generation to meet demand. Higher hydro output (+33% YoY) partially offset this, but carbon intensity still rose significantly. [Data: wind: 5.4 GW (-44% YoY); gas: 5.6 GW (+44% YoY); hydro: 5.5 GW (+33% YoY)]

ℹ️ May 2025: Carbon intensity was 21% higher in May

Change: +21% vs May 2024

Possible explanation: Wind output declined 21% YoY while gas generation increased 39% to compensate. Nuclear output also fell 13% YoY. Despite lower prices (-39% YoY), the shift from wind to gas drove carbon intensity higher. [Data: wind: 4.4 GW (-21% YoY); gas: 4.8 GW (+39% YoY); nuclear: 4.1 GW (-13% YoY)]

ℹ️ Jun 2025: Carbon intensity was 41% higher in Jun

Change: +41% vs Jun 2024

Possible explanation: A combination of factors drove the 42% carbon intensity increase: wind output fell 30% YoY, while gas generation surged 85% due to post-blackout grid stability measures and a June heat wave that increased electricity demand 5-10%. Gas-fired output jumped 58% after the April 28 blackout as Spain boosted gas reliance for grid stability. [Data: wind: 4.2 GW (-30% YoY); gas: 7.2 GW (+85% YoY); demand: +5.1% YoY]

ℹ️ Oct 2025: Carbon intensity was 36% higher in Oct

Change: +36% vs Oct 2024

Possible explanation: Multiple factors combined to push carbon intensity up 37%: wind output fell 23% YoY, hydro dropped 45% YoY due to low reservoir levels, and nuclear output declined 19% YoY. Gas generation increased 79% YoY to fill the gap from these low-carbon sources. [Data: wind: 5.8 GW (-23% YoY); hydro: 2.0 GW (-45% YoY); nuclear: 5.0 GW (-19% YoY); gas: 7.9 GW (+79% YoY)]

Golden Hours

1,149 hours with both low price (<23/MWh) and low carbon intensity (<98 gCO₂eq/kWh).

5.7 Multi-Level Carbon Intensity Heatmap

Carbon Intensity Heatmap

gCO₂eq/kWh

132.1 gCO₂eq/kWh yearly avg

hourly range: 51-305

Yearly

Yearly heatmap

Monthly

Monthly heatmap

Daily

Daily heatmap

Hourly

Hourly heatmap
1200
600
0

6. Renewable & Carbon-Free Energy (Flow-Traced)

Includes electricity exchanged with neighboring grids

Renewable 2024
58.8%
Renewable 2025
57.6%
-1.2pp
Carbon-Free 2024
81.4%
Carbon-Free 2025
78.9%
-2.5pp
Monthly Carbon-Free Share
% of consumption (renewable + nuclear)
100806040200JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
20242025

6.1 Days Above Thresholds

Days with carbon-free share above threshold

Threshold20242025Δ
50% carbon-free304308+4
60% carbon-free177134-43
70% carbon-free4625-21

6.2 Hours Above Thresholds

Hours with carbon-free share above threshold

Threshold20242025Δ
50% carbon-free6,4166,235-181
60% carbon-free4,5314,186-345
70% carbon-free1,8891,220-669

6.3 Multi-Level Carbon-Free % Heatmap

Carbon-Free % Heatmap

%

78.9 % yearly avg

hourly range: 45-95

Yearly

Yearly heatmap

Monthly

Monthly heatmap

Daily

Daily heatmap

Hourly

Hourly heatmap
100
50
0

Data source: Electricity Maps API

Analysis period: January 1 - December 31, 2024 & 2025

electricitymaps.com

Electricity Grid Review 2025: Spain

January 1 - December 31, 2024 vs 2025

Data coverage: 366 days (2024), 365 days (2025)

1. Electricity Price (Day-Ahead, EUR/MWh)

Mean 2024
€63.2
Mean 2025
€66.3
+€3.1
Monthly Average Day-Ahead Price
EUR/MWh
1501209060300JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
20242025
Price-Carbon Correlation

Correlation coefficient: -0.86 (2024), -0.70 (2025). Strong negative correlation - higher renewable generation = lower prices, reflecting the merit order effect.

1.1 Daily Price Extremes

Based on daily average prices

Metric20242025
Highest Daily Avg146.5 (Dec 12, 2024)145.1 (Jan 20, 2025)
Lowest Daily Avg0.4 (Apr 05, 2024)1.5 (Apr 19, 2025)
Negative Price Days00
Negative Price Hours244477

1.2 Hourly Price Extremes

Metric20242025
Highest Price193.0 (Nov 5, 2024 17:00)255.0 (Sep 17, 2025 19:00)
Lowest Price-2.0 (Jun 16, 2024 09:00)-15.0 (May 11, 2025 14:00)

1.3 Days by Price Range

Based on daily average prices

Range (/MWh)20242025Δ
0-50141124-17
51-100155183+28
101-1507058-12
151-200000
201+000

1.4 Hours by Price Range

Based on hourly prices

Range (/MWh)20242025Δ
Negative244477+233
€0-502,8252,652-173
€51-1002,9012,696-205
€101-1502,0312,157+126
€151-200170260+90
€201+023+23

1.5 Average Price by Hour of Day

2025 Average Price by Hour
€/MWh
116733000:0004:0008:0012:0016:0020:00115.530.0

1.6 Price Distribution (Hourly)

Price Distribution
Number of hours at each level
137110286863430050100150200250€/MWhHours
20242025
Negative Price Events

477 hours with negative prices across 94 days. Most negative: -15.0/MWh.

Intraday Price Volatility

Average daily price swing: 98/MWh. Maximum single-day swing was 228/MWh on 2025-09-17 (low: 27, high: 255).

Notable monthly evolutions

⚠️ Feb-Mar 2025: Electricity prices were 172% higher than Feb-Mar 2024

Change: +172% vs 2024

Possible explanation: Wind output dropped 44% YoY in February 2025 due to low wind conditions across Spain, forcing a 44% increase in gas-fired generation to compensate. This coincided with higher electricity demand during cold weather. [Data: wind: 5.4 GW (-44% YoY); gas: 5.6 GW (+44% YoY); price: €109/MWh (+173% YoY)]

1.7 Multi-Level Price Heatmap

Price Heatmap

€/MWh

67.1 €/MWh yearly avg

hourly range: -15-255

Yearly

Yearly heatmap

Monthly

Monthly heatmap

Daily

Daily heatmap

Hourly

Hourly heatmap
600
175
-250

2. Load

Load 2024
229.6 TWh
Load 2025
234.5 TWh
+2.2%
Production 2024
242.4 TWh
Production 2025
250.2 TWh
+3.2%

2.1 Average Load by Hour of Day

31.215.60
00:0006:0012:0018:0023:00
Load Pattern

Peak demand at 19:00 (31.2 GW). Minimum at 03:00 (21.4 GW).

2.2 Weekday vs Weekend

Weekday Average
27.8 GW
Weekend Average
24.1 GW

2.3 Net Load Pattern (Duck Curve)

Net Load Pattern (excl. Solar & Wind)
GW
3119600:0004:0008:0012:0016:0020:00bellypeakLoadSolar+WindNet Load
Solar Integration Challenge

Evening ramp of 11.9 GW from belly (13:00) to evening peak (19:00). This requires flexible dispatchable generation or storage to meet rapidly increasing demand as solar output decreases.

2.4 Peak & Minimum Demand Records (2025)

RankHighest LoadDateLowest LoadDate
139324.6 GW2025-01-15 19:008924.7 GW2025-04-28 12:00
239133.4 GW2025-01-16 19:009214.3 GW2025-04-28 11:00
338921.0 GW2025-01-15 20:009673.5 GW2025-04-28 13:00

2.5 April 28, 2025: Iberian Peninsula Blackout

Historic Grid Event

At 12:33 CEST on April 28, 2025, Spain and Portugal experienced the largest blackout in European history in over two decades. The peninsular grid lost 15 GW of generation capacity in just 5 seconds — 60% of demand at that moment. Power was interrupted for approximately 10 hours across most of the Iberian Peninsula, with full grid restoration taking nearly 16 hours. The Canary Islands and Balearic Islands (~3 GW combined) were unaffected as they operate on separate grids.

08162432~3 GW (Canary + Balearic Islands - unaffected)12:33 CEST: 15 GW lostPeninsular grid collapsed in 5 sec00:0004:0008:0012:0016:0020:0023:00Hour (UTC) — April 28, 2025Total Spain Load (GW)Apr 28 (Blackout)Apr 21 (Normal)Islands (unaffected)
TimelineEvent
12:33 CESTGrid collapse begins - frequency drops to 48 Hz
12:33:24Complete system collapse - HVDC lines to France disconnect
12:44First France-Spain 400 kV line re-energized
13:04Spain-Morocco interconnection restored
~18:00Power restored to parts of Madrid and Lisbon
04:00 (Apr 29)Full transmission grid restoration in Spain
Impact on Data

The blackout is clearly visible in our hourly load data: total Spain consumption dropped from 25.1 GW at 09:00 UTC to just 9.2 GW at 11:00 UTC. The ~9 GW floor represents the unaffected island grids (~3 GW) plus partial peninsular restoration during that hour. The actual peninsular load dropped to near zero. Daily average load on April 28 was 17.6 GW vs 23.0 GW the following day. Post-blackout, Spain increased gas-fired generation by 37% to enhance grid stability, contributing to higher carbon intensity in subsequent months.

3. Production-Based vs Flow-Traced Carbon Intensity (gCO₂eq/kWh)

Key Insight

Production-based carbon intensity is 2.0g higher than flow-traced carbon intensity in 2024 (1.6g in 2025). This means Spain's imports are cleaner than domestic production, lowering the carbon footprint of consumed electricity.

Production-Based 2024
126.1 g
Production-Based 2025
133.6 g
+7.5
Flow-Traced 2024
124.1 g
Flow-Traced 2025
132.1 g
+8.0

3.1 Production Mix (Domestic Generation)

2024 Production
24%
22%
19%
18%
13%
2025 Production
22%
21%
21%
21%
12%

3.2 Flow-Traced Power Mix

2024 Flow-Traced
23%
23%
17%
17%
13%
2025 Flow-Traced
22%
21%
20%
19%
12%
Nuclear
Hydro
Wind
Solar
Biomass
Gas
Coal
Oil
Hydro Storage
Battery

3.3 Import/Export Impact on Mix

Spain produces no hydro storage power locally, but ~3% of consumed electricity comes from hydro storage imports.

3.4 Power Mix Comparison

Production vs Flow-Traced consumption by source

SourceProd 2024Flow-traced 2024Prod 2025Flow-traced 2025
Wind24.3%23.3%22.3% (-2.0pp)21.6% (-1.7pp)
Nuclear21.6%22.7%20.8% (-0.8pp)21.3% (-1.4pp)
Gas17.5%16.9%20.9% (+3.4pp)20.3% (+3.4pp)
Solar19.5%17.3%21.0% (+1.5pp)18.8% (+1.5pp)
Hydro13.2%13.3%12.1% (-1.1pp)12.2% (-1.1pp)
Hydro Storage0.4%2.9%0.1% (-0.3pp)3.1% (+0.2pp)
Biomass2.2%2.1%2.1% (-0.1pp)2.1% (+0.0pp)
Coal1.2%1.2%0.5% (-0.7pp)0.5% (-0.7pp)
Oil0.1%0.1%0.1% (+0.0pp)0.1% (+0.0pp)

3.5 Key Trend

Wind Share (Flow-Traced)

Spain's electricity consumption is led by ~21.6% wind. Gas saw the biggest growth from 16.9% to 20.3%.

4. Cross-Border Electricity Flows

Total Exports 2025
23.47 TWh
-2.0%
Total Imports 2025
8.08 TWh
+32.8%
Net Position 2025
+15.38 TWh
Spain: Net Electricity Exporter

Spain exported a net 15.38 TWh in 2025.

4.1 2025 Gross Exports (Spain → Neighbor)

Total electricity exported to each country — with average carbon intensity

PT
10.66 TWh
130g
FR
6.81 TWh
115g
MA
3.81 TWh
131g
ES-IB-MA
1.49 TWh
132g
AD
0.22 TWh
132g

4.2 2025 Gross Imports (Neighbor → Spain)

Total electricity imported from each country — with average carbon intensity

FR
5.84 TWh
28g
PT
1.92 TWh
92g
MA
0.18 TWh
576g

4.3 Net Position by Neighbor (2025)

NeighborNet (TWh)Direction
PT+8.74Net Exporter
MA+3.63Net Exporter
ES-IB-MA+1.49Net Exporter
FR+0.97Net Exporter
AD+0.22Net Exporter

Positive = Spain is net exporter to that neighbor. Negative = Spain is net importer from that neighbor.

4.4 Flow Pattern by Hour of Day

Cross-Border Flow Pattern by Hour
MW (positive = export, negative = import)
+4GW0-4GW00:0006:0012:0018:0023:00
Net ExportNet Import
Cross-Border Flow Timing

Peak exports at 14:00 (3.6 GW avg). Peak imports at 19:00 (0.1 GW avg).

5. Carbon Intensity (gCO₂eq/kWh)

Mean 2024
124.1 g
Mean 2025
132.1 g
+8.0
Monthly Average Carbon Intensity
gCO₂eq/kWh (flow-traced)
20016012080400JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
20242025

5.1 Daily Records

Metric20242025
Lowest Carbon Intensity61.7 g (Feb 10, 2024)61.1 g (Jan 28, 2025)
Lowest Fossil %7.8% (Feb 10, 2024)7.4% (Jan 28, 2025)
Highest Carbon Intensity293.7 g (Dec 11, 2024)235.7 g (Jan 20, 2025)
Highest Fossil %49.7% (Dec 11, 2024)40.2% (Oct 14, 2025)

5.2 Hourly Records

Metric20242025
Lowest Carbon Intensity53.3 g (Mar 8, 2024 09:00)51.3 g (Jan 27, 2025 21:00)
Highest Carbon Intensity319.8 g (Dec 11, 2024 06:00)305.2 g (Oct 15, 2025 03:00)

5.3 Days Below Thresholds

Threshold20242025Δ
< 100 gCO₂eq/kWh10549-56
< 200 gCO₂eq/kWh348353+5
< 300 gCO₂eq/kWh366365-1

5.4 Hours Below Thresholds

Threshold20242025Δ
< 100 gCO₂eq/kWh3,4522,463-989
< 200 gCO₂eq/kWh8,0857,978-107
< 300 gCO₂eq/kWh8,7688,757-11

5.5 Average Carbon Intensity by Hour of Day

2025 Average Carbon Intensity by Hour
gCO₂eq/kWh
1611279400:0004:0008:0012:0016:0020:00161.193.7

5.6 Carbon Intensity Distribution (Hourly)

Carbon Intensity Distribution
Number of hours at each level
11688765842920100200300gCO₂eq/kWhHours
20242025

Notable monthly evolutions

ℹ️ Feb 2025: Carbon intensity was 30% higher in Feb

Change: +30% vs Feb 2024

Possible explanation: Wind capacity factor reached an all-time low in 2025. February saw wind output drop 44% YoY, requiring 44% more gas generation to meet demand. Higher hydro output (+33% YoY) partially offset this, but carbon intensity still rose significantly. [Data: wind: 5.4 GW (-44% YoY); gas: 5.6 GW (+44% YoY); hydro: 5.5 GW (+33% YoY)]

ℹ️ May 2025: Carbon intensity was 21% higher in May

Change: +21% vs May 2024

Possible explanation: Wind output declined 21% YoY while gas generation increased 39% to compensate. Nuclear output also fell 13% YoY. Despite lower prices (-39% YoY), the shift from wind to gas drove carbon intensity higher. [Data: wind: 4.4 GW (-21% YoY); gas: 4.8 GW (+39% YoY); nuclear: 4.1 GW (-13% YoY)]

ℹ️ Jun 2025: Carbon intensity was 41% higher in Jun

Change: +41% vs Jun 2024

Possible explanation: A combination of factors drove the 42% carbon intensity increase: wind output fell 30% YoY, while gas generation surged 85% due to post-blackout grid stability measures and a June heat wave that increased electricity demand 5-10%. Gas-fired output jumped 58% after the April 28 blackout as Spain boosted gas reliance for grid stability. [Data: wind: 4.2 GW (-30% YoY); gas: 7.2 GW (+85% YoY); demand: +5.1% YoY]

ℹ️ Oct 2025: Carbon intensity was 36% higher in Oct

Change: +36% vs Oct 2024

Possible explanation: Multiple factors combined to push carbon intensity up 37%: wind output fell 23% YoY, hydro dropped 45% YoY due to low reservoir levels, and nuclear output declined 19% YoY. Gas generation increased 79% YoY to fill the gap from these low-carbon sources. [Data: wind: 5.8 GW (-23% YoY); hydro: 2.0 GW (-45% YoY); nuclear: 5.0 GW (-19% YoY); gas: 7.9 GW (+79% YoY)]

Golden Hours

1,149 hours with both low price (<23/MWh) and low carbon intensity (<98 gCO₂eq/kWh).

5.7 Multi-Level Carbon Intensity Heatmap

Carbon Intensity Heatmap

gCO₂eq/kWh

132.1 gCO₂eq/kWh yearly avg

hourly range: 51-305

Yearly

Yearly heatmap

Monthly

Monthly heatmap

Daily

Daily heatmap

Hourly

Hourly heatmap
1200
600
0

6. Renewable & Carbon-Free Energy (Flow-Traced)

Includes electricity exchanged with neighboring grids

Renewable 2024
58.8%
Renewable 2025
57.6%
-1.2pp
Carbon-Free 2024
81.4%
Carbon-Free 2025
78.9%
-2.5pp
Monthly Carbon-Free Share
% of consumption (renewable + nuclear)
100806040200JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
20242025

6.1 Days Above Thresholds

Days with carbon-free share above threshold

Threshold20242025Δ
50% carbon-free304308+4
60% carbon-free177134-43
70% carbon-free4625-21

6.2 Hours Above Thresholds

Hours with carbon-free share above threshold

Threshold20242025Δ
50% carbon-free6,4166,235-181
60% carbon-free4,5314,186-345
70% carbon-free1,8891,220-669

6.3 Multi-Level Carbon-Free % Heatmap

Carbon-Free % Heatmap

%

78.9 % yearly avg

hourly range: 45-95

Yearly

Yearly heatmap

Monthly

Monthly heatmap

Daily

Daily heatmap

Hourly

Hourly heatmap
100
50
0

Data source: Electricity Maps API

Analysis period: January 1 - December 31, 2024 & 2025

electricitymaps.com