The Spanish government has approved a royal decree that would give Red Eléctrica, the operator of the national electricity grid, a central role in managing data on all of the country’s electricity customers.
A measure revived
The idea had been included in the government’s broad “anti-blackout” decree-law, drawn up after the nationwide blackout of 28 April 2025. That decree-law was rejected by Congress in July 2025. The government has now revived part of it in a new royal decree modernising the rules on electricity supply, approved by the Council of Ministers.
What would change
The Ministry for the Ecological Transition, headed by Sara Aagesen, wants Red Eléctrica to become the single point of access for data on Spain’s roughly 30 million electricity customers. At present, that information is held by more than 300 distribution companies, most of them belonging to the big groups: Endesa, Iberdrola, Naturgy and EDP.
The reform affects the supply point information system (SIPS), the database that suppliers use to see the technical characteristics and consumption of supply points.
What it means for consumers
According to the government, the new system would give consumers:
- free, centralised access to their own consumption data;
- explicit control over who can access their data;
- a standard format that makes it easier to compare offers from different suppliers.
A ministerial order will set out the details, including exactly which data will be included.
Why centralise
Supporters argue that a single data hub would make it easier to switch supplier, increase competition, simplify reporting and help manage the grid. The approach is in line with EU rules on energy data, and several European countries already have national data hubs.
Concerns
Consumer organisations broadly welcome greater transparency but stress that the system will need strong safeguards to prevent commercial misuse of personal data. Distributors, for their part, lose control over information they have managed until now. The National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) will play a role in supervising access to the data.
