Spain's general strike pulls power demand 10.8% below forecast by 9:15

Demand falls well below forecast

Red Eléctrica (REE) data reported on Wednesday, 11 November, showed electricity demand at 29,805 MW at 9:15, against 33,415 MW forecast for that hour, a gap of 10.8%. A separate reading taken at 8:30 GMT put demand at 29,854 MW, which one report set against 32,966 MW on Tuesday, 10 November, a fall of 9.45%. CCOO, the union led by Unai Sordo, reported a 9.57% drop in the first hours of the strike compared with the same period of the previous day.

Speaking to TVE, Sordo said that night shifts and early-morning work had gone as planned. He said the strike was having a clear effect on industrial and production activities that run in shifts and account for much of the energy consumption. He described the demand pattern in these terms:

“Demand is closer to what is used on a Sunday than to the levels recorded last Wednesday.”

Forecast33,415

Actual (provisional)29,805

Forecast

33415 MW

Actual (provisional)

29805 MW

Data from the article text

Comparison with 2012 and the previous Wednesday

Sector sources cited by El Confidencial put the fall against Wednesday, 4 November, at around 10%, but REE had not yet confirmed that percentage for the same hour. The strongest historical comparison is the general strike of 29 March 2012, when demand stood 16.1% below forecast at 12:00. During the general strike of 14 November 2012, the gap was 11.8% at midday and 13.7% at 16:30.

Before the strike, sector sources expected an impact of between 500 and 700 MW, equal to 1% to 2% of demand. They argued that much of industry is automated and keeps producing during stoppages, and they did not expect large interruptions in basic industry, food or the main industrial consumers. The article also notes that temperature, normal consumption patterns and REE's forecasting criteria all influence the gap, so the 2026 figure cannot be attributed entirely to the strike.

29 Mar 2012, 12:0016.1%

14 Nov 2012, 12:0011.8%

14 Nov 2012, 16:3013.7%

11 Nov 2026, 9:15 (provisional)10.8%

29 Mar 2012, 12:00

16.1 %

14 Nov 2012, 12:00

11.8 %

14 Nov 2012, 16:30

13.7 %

11 Nov 2026, 9:15 (provisional)

10.8 %

Data from the article text

Minimum services on the power system

The government set minimum services for the electricity sector, requiring nuclear plants, conventional hydro groups, pumping facilities and coal and gas thermal plants to remain fully available. Staffing minimums are set individually for each company and installation. The reports do not say how many workers were affected by these minimums.

Unions' demands on housing and wages

Sordo said the strike would gain presence as the day advanced and reach more sectors and businesses, and CCOO expects a mass mobilisation. He named three grievances: the rising cost of living, the decline of public services and difficulty accessing housing. Housing sits at the centre of the demands, and Sordo asked that two decrees be validated when they go before the Diputación Permanente on Thursday, 12 November, alongside new measures to curb evictions and limit rents.

Sordo rejected the claim that construction wages push up home prices, blaming property speculation instead. He called for expanding the public stock of affordable housing and questioned the CEOE's arguments on taxation and labour costs, noting that many workers in the sector earn modest wages.