Black start procedure 2026: what electric generators must do

Key data

If your company operates electrical generation facilities with autonomous restart capacity without external power supply, this procedure directly affects you. The National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) has approved the Operating Procedure 7.6, which for the first time specifically regulates the autonomous restart service—known internationally as black start—of the Spanish peninsular electrical system.

The regulation, published and in force since June 27, 2026, establishes the technical, economic and operational conditions under which enabled generators may provide this critical service for national supply security.

What does this regulation establish?

Operating Procedure 7.6 regulates the service that allows restarting the electrical grid after a widespread failure without requiring external power supply. This is a critical technical capability: if the grid collapses, only generators with autonomous restart can initiate system restoration from zero.

The procedure structures the service around the following key elements:

The regulation distinguishes two allocation phases to ensure an orderly transition: an initial phase with facilities already listed in the current restoration plan, and a broader second phase that will allow incorporating new providers that demonstrate the required technical requirements.

Economic and operational impact

The economic impact of Operating Procedure 7.6 occurs in two opposite directions depending on the type of agent:

• For enabled generators: the procedure creates a new source of remuneration for providing the autonomous restart service. Providers meeting technical requirements and assigned will receive economic compensation whose amount is established in the procedure itself.
• For generators in non-compliance: the procedure contemplates specific penalties. Failing to meet obligations once the service is assigned can generate direct economic costs.
• For the electrical system: the total cost of the service falls on the electrical system, which means it is financed through system tolls and charges, without direct impact on the individual accounts of end consumers.

From an operational perspective, facilities wishing to participate in the subsequent allocation phase must demonstrate compliance with the technical enablement requirements defined in the procedure. This may require investments in equipment, verification tests or prior technical adaptations.

Who does it affect?

• Electric generators with autonomous restart capacity: hydroelectric plants, certain combined cycle plants, storage facilities with island capability and other assets with restart without external grid. They are the main affected parties, both in the initial and subsequent phases.
• Red Eléctrica de España (REE): as operator of the peninsular system, assumes responsibility for managing the allocation process in both phases, verifying compliance with technical requirements and applying the remuneration mechanism and penalties.
• Companies owning generation facilities that are currently not in the restoration plan but could be enabled in the subsequent phase of the procedure.
• Technical advisors and consultants in the energy sector who accompany generators in the enablement process.

Practical example

A company owning a hydroelectric plant that already appears in the current restoration plan of Red Eléctrica will be automatically included in the initial allocation phase of Operating Procedure 7.6. This means that, from June 27, 2026, this facility is subject to service obligations—availability, periodic tests, response to activation—and, in return, is entitled to the remuneration established in the procedure.

If the same company has another plant that was not in the restoration plan but technically could restart autonomously, it must wait for the subsequent allocation phase, demonstrate compliance with technical enablement requirements to Red Eléctrica and, if assigned, begin receiving remuneration for that additional service.

If an assigned facility fails to meet its obligations—for example, not being available when Red Eléctrica activates the restoration protocol—the procedure provides for the application of direct economic penalties on the provider.

What should companies do now?

1. Verify if your facility appears in Red Eléctrica's current restoration plan. If so, you are included in the initial phase and the obligations of Operating Procedure 7.6 are immediately applicable from June 27, 2026.
2. Review the technical enablement requirements defined in the procedure to determine if your facility meets them or if it requires adaptations. This analysis is a priority for participating in the subsequent allocation phase.
3. Evaluate the economic impact of the remuneration you would receive as an enabled provider against the costs of technical adaptation necessary to obtain enablement.
4. Identify applicable penalties in case of non-compliance with service obligations, to assess economic risk and establish internal operational protocols.
5. Coordinate with Red Eléctrica the timelines and procedures of the subsequent allocation phase if your facility is not in the current restoration plan but has technical autonomous restart capacity.
6. Consult with a technical advisor specialized in electricity markets to assess the advisability of participating in the service and the specific steps of the enablement process.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-14008