Studies show that the majority of power outages caused by natural disasters can be easily identified. Major frequency outages can lead to the automatic disconnection of generators and energy systems. Experts in the energy field warn about the possibility of repeated outages. They emphasize that there is no system that would be safeguarded from outages and problems.
Professor engineers from Cardiff University, Czyanchung Wu noted that outages of electric energy can occur anywhere. He pointed out that even regardless of the high reliability standards currently, there is still a risk of serious outages. His words: "These networks are not designed for complete immunity from outages, as achieving such a level of reliability requires investments that exceed economic feasibility."
Some cases of full electric outages are related to human factors. For example, geopolitical factors and cyberattacks can lead to "major outages" in the grid, while human factors can also play a role.
Cybersecurity specialist Dave Masland stated that cyberattacks on energy systems are fully possible and have previously led to outages, citing cyberattacks in Russia on electric networks in Ukraine in 2015 and 2016. In connection with these examples, Ziyang pointed out that it is necessary to balance risks and readiness for their minimization.
Power outages in Spain due to a "rare meteorological event" caused widespread concern among many, however, the company "Red Eléctrica," managing the grid, later disproved this theory. On the contrary, outages happen during system operation. One of the post-outage problem variants in Spain is the role of renewable energy in the grid system. Many experts point out that it is too early to make withdrawals based on the absence of clear explanations of the outages.
In general, problems with electric outages can have various causes — from natural disasters to human mistakes and cyberattacks. It is necessary to continually improve the energy assurance system to minimize risks and guarantee stability of electricity supplies.
