European electricity group urges companies to prioritise physical and cybersecurity

Europe’s electricity companies need to give higher priority to protecting infrastructure against physical or cyber threats as incidents grow in scale and frequency, industry association Eurelectric said in a report published ahead of the Munich Security Conference. “Regardless of the perpetrator, these incidents are increasing in scale and frequency, placing growing pressure on power utilities to maintain reliable supply,” the association wrote in its assessment of the sector’s resilience.

“Preparing for, responding to and recovering from both physical and hybrid attacks must be a key element of power companies’ strategies going forward,” said the lobby group's president, Markus Rauramo. The report found that, while utilities’ awareness of risks is growing, preparedness across the sector remains uneven and perceived threats vary geographically. 

“Electricity underpins all aspects of our lives, it is a crucial part of making our societies work,” said Kristian Ruby, the association’s secretary general. The authors – who took lessons from Ukraine’s experience – recommend utilities formalise communication pathways with authorities to work together in case of crisis, reinforce infrastructure, stockpile equipment, and integrate cyber resilience into systems from the outset. 

German police recorded hundreds of sabotage acts against critical infrastructure including energy last year. In the first weeks of 2026, investigators also registered several alleged acts of sabotage, with a prolonged outage in Berlin in early January fuelling a countrywide debate about the energy system’s security. 

Europe’s electricity system is at the centre of the bloc’s climate neutrality goals, with the electrification of transport, heating and industry being a key to cutting emissions and securing sovereignty.