Electric System Vulnerabilities

Summer 2003 was characterised by electricity supply disruption events which had wide impact on a number of key economies; these events contributed to direct attention on how crucially modern societies depend on correct operation of the electric power infrastructure. They also evidenced to what extent all technological infrastructures depend on electricity supply. On the other hand most interdependencies are not usually perceived not only by the public at large, but also by most infrastructure operators; hence they are not taken into appropriate account into the relevant contingency planning.