Policy Brief

Learning from the Iberian Peninsula Blackout: Importance of Emergency Information Exchange and Restoration Procedures for the ASEAN Power Grid (APG)

Published Date: 19 January 2026
AGEP Programme Report 2021

Highlights 

  • Technical readiness and close cooperation play a huge role in the restoration process: The restoration process emphasises the importance of continuous communication between TSOs, availability of black-startcapable generation units, and cross-border power trade with neighbouring countries to recover the system back to its normal operating state.
  • Strong technical, legal, and institutional foundation enables the rapid recovery of the blackout: Key enablers include robust governance process, clear institutional framework, and strong legal foundation for emergency response, supported by transparent emergency information exchange mechanism.
  • ASEAN should enhance existing institutional and regulatory framework for emergency response: Domestic grid code enhancement, guideline development, and institutional framework strengthening should be done to enhance ASEAN’s capability on emergency information exchange and restoration procedure.