Extreme weather is stress-testing Europe’s grid
June’s heatwaves across Europe showed the effects of what living in the fastest warming continent feels like. It’s not just people that are feeling the heat – Europe’s power grids are under strain too.
“Grid operators are facing a tough reality. In the coming decades heatwaves, floodings and storms will occur ever more often. Operators need to be prepared. That’s why strong emergency coordination and recovery planning are just as important as physical upgrades”
DSOs are already taking action
This year, we saw the consequences when grid resilience falls short – blackouts, damaged infrastructure, and entire communities left in the dark.
“Storm Éowyn in January 2025 saw record-breaking wind gusts of up to 184km/h cause unprecedented, widespread, and extensive damage to electricity infrastructure, resulting in a total of 768,000 customers losing supply. This was by far the worst storm experienced by ESB Networks both in terms of customers losing supply and the scale of damage across the network” said Nicholas Tarrant, Managing Director, ESB Networks. “ESB Networks is focused on enhancing the resilience of the electricity network for homes, farms, and businesses across Ireland. A multi-year investment programme that will be required over the coming Price Review 6 period (2026 – 2030) and beyond, includes investment in both the transmission and distribution electricity system and is part of an overall €13.4 billion euro programme planned for the next five years”.
Proactive planning is essential
The challenge may be growing, but so is the solution. The paper highlights that DSOs are preparing by:
- Mapping the exposure and the risks associated with climate change for grids
- Reinforcing network resilience of lines, cables and substations
- Preparing effective response measures to restore the grid in case of damages
Consider the example of E-distribuzione: after the July 2023 heatwave that caused a power blackout emergency in the Italian province of Catania, Sicily, the company carried out a thorough analysis to evolve the distribution networks’ resilience models. This led to the launch of targeted investments, including the replacement of vulnerable segments of the underground medium-voltage network with joint-less, heat-resistant cables. Their approach now serves as a blueprint for others across the sector.
How to future-proof the grid
With the European Commission’s Climate Adaptation Plan due in the second half of 2026, Eurelectric developed six policy recommendations aiming to ensure that upcoming regulations truly support grid resilience – and enable a climate-proof energy transition:
- Incentivise and recognise climate adaptation measures in national regulatory frameworks.
- The upcoming Climate Adaptation Plan should put emphasis on climate adaptation measures for critical infrastructure.
- The National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) should be amended to explicitly introduce a dimension of physical grid resilience.
- The NZIA environmental criteria for public procurement procedures should include an aspect of climate adaptation.
- National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) should be explicitly responsible for addressing climate adaptation of electricity infrastructure.
- Investments in resilience should be an integral part of the Distribution Network Development Plans (DNDPs).
The bottom line
Climate change is already testing Europe’s grids — and will continue to do so. Building resilience into grid planning, design, and regulation is not optional. It’s essential for a secure, affordable, and decarbonised electricity future.