Europe gets wake-up call on energy security strategy

Europe needs a radical rethink of its energy security strategy because its utilities are being "pushed into a new operating reality where the boundary between peacetime and crisis is increasingly blurred".

That's the conclusion of a report launched today by Brussels association Eurelectric, which concludes that European utilities are not suitably prepared to withstand and mitigate physical, cyber and hybrid threats. 

The report, Battle-tested power systems: Resilience and preparedness for Europe’s electricity sector, was launched at a press briefing during the opening morning of the Munich Security Conference.

It draws heavily on lessons from Russia’s sustained attacks on Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure, arguing that these events have exposed potential weak spots in Europe’s wider preparedness.

Markus Rauramo, president of Eurelectric and chief executive of Finnish energy company Fortum, said the report was developed “in response to a rapidly evolving security environment where Europe's infrastructure is increasingly exposed to hybrid tactics.” He said the threats “are no longer theoretical, but part of a persistent strategic effort to test our resilience.”

“Utilities across Europe are being pushed into a new operating reality, where the boundary between peacetime and crisis is increasingly blurred.” 


And he stressed: "This report matters: it connects real time experience from Ukraine with Europe's growing need to plan and prepare proactively, not reactively."

Grey zone attacks

While war has provided the most visible example of energy infrastructure under attack, the report stresses that Europe is also increasingly vulnerable to so-called 'grey zone' attacks, which include sabotage, cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns.

These methods, attributed to the Russian Federation and its networks of operatives, allow for plausible deniability while undermining EU and energy security. Such incidents are growing in scale and frequency, even outside a wartime context.

According to Eurelectric, awareness of these risks is improving, but preparedness across the sector remains uneven. 

The report calls for urgent action to close these gaps and is makes key recommendations to improve situational awareness and crisis readiness.

Utilities are urged to strengthen cooperation with national authorities, enhance intelligence sharing and conduct regular emergency exercises. Protecting critical assets is also critical: infrastructure hardening, strengthened cybersecurity, workforce training and strategic stockpiling of essential equipment are described as vital pre-emptive measures.

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The report warns that preparation cannot wait until a crisis hits. Training ensures personnel are ready to respond to events, while stockpiles reduce long lead times for replacing damaged equipment.

Backup communication systems are equally critical to ensure that essential stakeholders can share information during an emergency.

In the press briefing, Eurelectric secretary general Kristian Ruby emphasised the urgency of the situation, recounting a visit he same to a heavily damaged Ukrainian power plant, which he said was "a devastating experience".

“The roof was missing, windows blown out, people trying to restart completely destroyed generation units… it’s the reality and it’s only getting worse,” he said.

Russia’s strategy in Ukraine has evolved over time, explained Ruby. Initial strikes focused on transmission infrastructure before expanding to generation assets, including thermal power plants, hydroelectric dams and substations linked to nuclear facilities — centralised targets crucial for system stability.

A third wave of attacks has targeted renewable energy infrastructure, with ongoing missile and drone strikes aimed at causing maximum long-term damage.

Ruby emphasised that the lessons extend beyond Ukraine and that shifting transatlantic relations and the broader weaponisation of energy have reshaped the geopolitical landscape.

"The transatlantic relation has undergone profound changes, and the new security strategy of the US is very explicit in its intention to use American energy dominance, as they call it, as a instrument of power projection."

This, he said, means that Europe needs "to make sure that we are as strong as possible in energy supply and that really points towards electricity, because we have no or very limited sources of fossil fuels in Europe".

Allies and values

"Electricity underpins all aspects of our lives: transportation systems, payment systems, everyday amenities, fridges, computers, telephones… everything relies on electricity, and will rely on electricity even more in the future. So it's really about our lives: it's about our allies; it's about our values, and it's about making sure that we can compete and stand up for ourselves in the future." 


He added: “We are seeing an escalated hybrid war effort in Europe, complemented by arson attacks, continuous misinformation and attacks on supply chains.” 

He condeded that Europe had been "slow to wake up" to new energy security threats: “We hit the snooze button too many times."

Eurelectric is therefore calling for the development of an updated, systematic security culture across Europe’s energy sector, supported by a comprehensive EU framework that includes funding, coordinated threat intelligence and deeper engagement between utilities and authorities.

Safeguarding supply chains to prevent their weaponisation will also be increasingly important, he said, advocating a “better safe than sorry” approach.

Policymakers must also take urgent steps to address uneven implementation of readiness strategies, investment gaps and fragmented governance. 

With growing electrification and a more volatile geopolitical environment, the report concludes that utilities are now on the front line of Europe’s defence, and the time to act is now.