WEMO 2025 (complet) - Flipbook - Page 30
W E M O 202 5
O U T LO O K
• Modernizing grids to integrate distributed, greener
energies and increasing the connected IoTs increases
cyber-attack risks. 218,219 This is in part because it introduces
more players that all must comply with security rules to
keep the grid safe. Grids that are strategic assets, are also
vulnerable to state sponsored cyberattacks as illustrated by
the repeated Russian linked attacks on the Ukrainian grid. 220
In 2022, Chinese-linked hackers infiltrated seven
Indian State Load Dispatch Centers, threatening
gr id st abilit y, t hough no out ages occur red .
In 2023, 61% of all recorded cyberattacks worldwide
originated from Russia, many of which targeted
critical infrastructure, with attacks ranging from
ransomware incidents to attempts at grid disruption. 221
As electricity’s role grows in a decarbonized future, power
systems become prime targets for cyberattacks. Avoidance
strategies include defense-in-depth with robust 昀椀rewalls
implementation, encryption, multi-factor authentication,
and continuous monitoring to detect threats. Regular
cybersecurity training reduces vulnerabilities. Grid-enhancing
https://www.eca.europa.eu/ECAPublications/RV-2025-01/RV-2025-01_EN.pdf
https://www.wired.com/story/youre-not-ready-for-a-grid-attack/
https://www.govtech.com/security/
critical-infrastructure-how-to-protect-water-power-and-space-from-cyber-attacks
220
https://www.ironnet.com/blog/cyber-attacks-on-the-power-grid
221
https://www.eurelectric.org/in-detail/cybersecurity-in-the-power-sector/
222
https://www.darktrace.com/products/endpoint
217
218
219
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352467725000773
https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/power-and-energy/2021-texas-power-crisis
216
Europe’s ENTSO-E is using AI enabled predictive models to manage storm-related disruptions .
214
215
WEMO 2025
To mitigate climate change impacts, grid operators are
adopting resilience strategies, including advanced weather
forecasting216, and infrastructure hardening investments,
such as elevating substations to protect them against
昀氀oods, or using 昀椀re-resistant materials against wild昀椀res.
The EU Commission highlighted that, without adaptation,
grid damage could multiply sixfold by the middle of the
century.217
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• Climate change exacerbates these risks, as extreme
weather can disrupt renewable output, with hurricanes
reducing solar generation and destroying the grid
networks. Rising temperatures reduce transmission line
e昀케ciency. In the United States, for example, the e昀昀ects
of global warming are expected to reduce overhead
lines capacity by an average of 1.9% to 5.8% between
2040 and 2050, compared to the 1990–2010 period214.
Extreme cold weather can damage grids, threatening the
security of electricity supply as seen for instance in Texas215 in
February 2021 when an ice storm, followed by two additional
winter storms, caused below-freezing temperatures. Demand
for electricity surged while nearly half the grid's generating
capacity failed as wind turbines froze, natural gas pipelines and
storage facilities were crippled, and power plants faltered. The
Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) initiated rolling
blackouts that left over 4.8 million customers without power
for extended periods. The event highlighted the challenges
of electricity management in the face of climate-related risks.
