Eurelectric calls for precautions against storms and heatwaves

10.07.2025

Source: E & M powernews

Eurelectric calls for more climate resilience in Europe's electricity grids with six recommendations and uses case studies from various European countries to show how this can be achieved.

Europe's electricity grids are under increasing pressure from climate change. This is emphasized by the European electricity industry association Eurelectric. In a position paper published on July 10, it outlines ways in which distribution system operators (DSOs) can better prepare their infrastructure for extreme weather events. The document contains six policy recommendations as well as several case studies from different countries that illustrate the consequences of increasing climate extremes for the grids and possible counter-strategies.

According to Eurelectric, grid operators are facing increasing challenges due to climate change. "In the coming decades, heat waves, floods and storms will occur with increasing frequency," said Secretary General Kristian Ruby. Operators need to be prepared, for which good emergency coordination and recovery planning are just as important as structural measures.

Case studies show need for action

Recent events have shown just how urgent precautions are. Nicholas Tarrant, Managing Director of Irish network operator ESB Networks from Dublin, refers to Storm Eowyn in January 2025, the most severe storm in the company's history, which caused extensive damage to the electricity infrastructure with wind speeds of up to 184 kilometers per hour. A total of 768,000 customers in Ireland were temporarily cut off from the power supply.

According to ESB Networks, it is planning a multi-year investment program to increase the resilience of the power grid in Ireland. A total of €13.4 billion is to be invested in transmission and distribution networks between 2026 and 2030 and beyond. The program is intended to help better protect households, farms and businesses from power outages caused by extreme weather events.

Proposed precautionary measures

The Eurelectric paper highlights the measures that DSOs should take to prepare for the increasing impact of climate change. First of all, grid operators should systematically record and evaluate the risks of climate change for their grids. This could be based on scenarios from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the European Union or national institutions. The very different local effects of climate change depend heavily on the geographical location and grid structure. Grid operators therefore develop internal simulations to estimate the consequences for their infrastructure.

Another approach is to increase the physical resilience of the grids. According to Eurelectric, DSOs could optimize the materials and components used, replace particularly vulnerable systems in a targeted manner and create resilience through grid meshing. Proactive investments in these measures are often cheaper in the long term than the costs of repairs following extreme weather events, according to the association.

Rapid restoration of damaged grids also plays a decisive role. Eurelectric recommends keeping material reserves for repairs, planning for sufficient qualified personnel and establishing close cooperation with authorities and local stakeholders.

One example is provided by the Italian grid operator E-distribuzione, which reviewed and adapted its resilience models following the heatwave in the province of Catania in Sicily in July 2023. High temperatures caused power outages there. As a result, the company made targeted investments in new, sleeveless and more heat-resistant cables for the underground medium-voltage grid. According to Eurelectric, this approach now serves as a model for other grid operators in Europe.

Six political demands

Politically, Eurelectric is calling for more support for adapting the electricity grids to climate change. This is a key prerequisite for security of supply and a sustainable energy future. The association addresses six specific recommendations to the European Commission and the Member States.
Create incentives for climate adaptation measures and recognize them in national regulatory frameworks.
The upcoming climate adaptation plan should focus on climate adaptation measures for critical infrastructure.
The National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) should be amended to explicitly introduce the dimension of physical grid resilience.
The NZIA environmental criteria for public procurement processes should include a climate adaptation aspect.
National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) should be explicitly responsible for climate adaptation of electricity infrastructure.
Investments in resilience should be an integral part of distribution network development plans (DNDPs).
The position paper "Strengthening climate resilience-strategies for enhancing DSO resilience against climate change" is available for download on the Eurelectric website.

Author: Susanne Harmsen