Playing ‘Blackout Buzzword Bingo’ with recent events

With the recent blackouts on the Iberian Peninsula … and perhaps now also to com, with the Blackout in Bali on Friday 2nd May 2025, I wonder how many people are like me in:

1)  Striving to understand what happened in both events,

2)  But also quite disheartened in seeing the proliferation of social media comments (and even full blown media articles, already!) that proceed something like this…

‘We should wait until [THE EXPERTS] have completed their detailed, considered review before drawing conclusions …’

… however I’m reading here that the ‘we’ really means you (i.e. everyone else, certainly not me)’ in the minds of the writer, because they immediately follow this with something like…

‘The [SYSTEM EVENT AT PLACE and TIME] was likely caused by [INSERT HOBBY HORSE HERE] and would likely have been prevented if we had enough [INSERT FAVOURED SECRET SAUCE HERE’!’

 

For those familiar with the Emotion-o-meter, they will see that such a frame of conversation applies to comments from both the Left End and Right End in recent days, with typical examples being:

1)  For the commentator on the right …

[HOBBY HORSE] here might include Variable Renewable Energy (described in various ways); whilst

[FAVOURED SECRET SAUCE] here might include Inertia, Baseload Power (including Coal or Nuclear – some form of Villain #6a), or other similar descriptors

2)  Whereas for the commentator on the left …

[HOBBY HORSE] here might include Aging Infrastructure, or Climate Change, etc; whilst

[FAVOURED SECRET SAUCE] here might include Batteries (which are Swiss Army Knives – or form of Villain #6b), or Demand Response (that magic wand)

 

Which makes it more difficult for those of us just trying to understand the facts, without the prejudice and spin…


About the Author

Paul McArdle
Paul was one of the founders of Global-Roam in February 2000. He is currently the CEO of the company and the principal author of WattClarity. Writing for WattClarity has become a natural extension of his work in understanding the electricity market, enabling him to lead the team in developing better software for clients. Before co-founding the company, Paul worked as a Mechanical Engineer for the Queensland Electricity Commission in the early 1990s. He also gained international experience in Japan, the United States, Canada, the UK, and Argentina as part of his ES Cornwall Memorial Scholarship.

2 Comments on "Playing ‘Blackout Buzzword Bingo’ with recent events"

  1. I guess you are just waitng for the official report before making any statements. If you have nothing to say best to say nothing.

  2. I’ve always liked Peri-Peri.

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