Grids face new energy trilemma of security, resilience and adaptation

When grid experts convened at Enlit Europe in Bilbao, three key issues were on the table: security, resilience and adaptation. 

In a panel discussion, moderator Elad Shaviv from Israel Electric Corporation reminded both the panellists and audience that even just defining what we mean by ‘energy security’ is no easy task. 

Shaviv said that the accepted definition can roughly be summarised as: “The uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price.”

Carmen Gimeno, secretary general of the distribution association, Geode, was quick to point out that in the modern world, energy itself has become a security issue. 

“It’s on the table of all heads of government and this is a significant difference to the past.” Parallel to this broadening of decision-making responsibility, Gimeno noted that “in Europe, energy sovereignty and being independent also means a lot, and this means we need to accelerate the energy transition”. 

Gimeno observed: “Grids have become a strategic asset and it’s important that we recognise this. We talk about the need to massively invest in our grids but then immediately after all sectors agree that we need grids to be ready to avoid delaying the transition, the issue of affordability arises – and we don’t find so much consensus here.”

For Sergio Martín Guerrero, chief product officer at Gridspertise Group, flexibility is a crucial part of encouraging progress. “The best energy is that which is not consumed – that which is not needed,” he declared. “We need to keep our options open and look at the end-to-end value chain.” 

For Guerrero, speaking as a smart energy tech partner, there’s only one viable way through this landscape. “Making a physical asset secure means digitalising it,” he asserted plainly.

Ana Lafuente, Iberdrola’s networks group director, also noted the role of digitalisation within not only security but also general resilience, Lafuente commented: “Resilience is about the ability to both withstand all events and recover quickly from any unexpected ones. This is about upgrading ageing infrastructure and boosting digitalisation to better identify risks.”

Lafuente emphasised that digitalisation alone isn’t enough: “From prevention to crisis management, technology is important, but we also need to invest in the energy systems.”

Simona Rossetti, a grid expert at Siemens Energy, agreed on the importance of adequate funding. “If it’s highly resilient, a system is shaken very little, able to recover quickly and can use digital solutions – including AI – to almost get to the point where it can ‘drive’ in auto pilot.” 

For Rossetti, this future scenario will be powered by data. “With the right data, we can send more electricity down the same line. We can maximise the efficiency of the network. With digitalisation, the grid is going to be self-piloting and self-healing – and the human experts will oversee this.”

Taco Engelaar, SVP & managing director of digital twin expert Neara, also took the opportunity to highlight the role of humans – this time in relation to governance. “For me, it’s about responsibility and who takes ownership of security issues. Things such as political threats and extreme weather threats don’t stop at a national boundary,” he noted.

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Lucy Electric’s Philip Dingle, director of Future Networks, requested that he and his energy-sector counterparts step up to take at least some responsibility for shaping future security. He said: “The world is changing, the way we use electricity is changing, and the grid needs to change to reflect this. How do we as the supply chain develop the solutions that will enable the network to work efficiently in the future?”

All panellists also called for greater education and engagement among electricity’s end users. Elad Shaviv cited research he’d seen that suggested energy security has some impact on people’s mental health. 

But as Engelaar pointed out, there’s an enormous gap in knowledge between what a consumer and a provider regard as security. “A recent study highlighted that in the event of disruption, consumers expected to be reconnected within about two hours of an event occurring. 

“Yet, in the UK, Ofgem aims for a reconnection time of up to 48 hours. There is a massive disconnect here and involving consumers will be hugely important going forward.”

Rossetti also flagged up an additional, newer stakeholder to be considered within the energy security debate – perhaps as part of the solution to some of the funding issues: data centres. She observed: “They don’t care how they get their energy, but energy is the only thing they want, and they will pay extremely highly for reliability.”