The recent huge power outage across Spain, Portugal and parts of France upended modern life as we know it — no trains, no planes, no internet and more. The energy and utilities (E&U) sector is now at the epicenter of a battle with unpredictable environmental and energy challenges. While events such as hurricanes, wildfires and floods are not new, the scale and impacts of these incidents have evolved into major incidents that bring more wide-reaching consequences — a shift utilities can no longer afford to ignore.
Throughout 2024 and the start of 2025, several European countries have been affected by severe floods caused by prolonged heavy rains. Damage has been widespread, with overflowing river basins and landslides causing catastrophic damage. Weather events in locations such as Canada, Spain and wider Europe, that we once called one-in-100 or one-in-1,000-year events, are now happening every year, sometimes multiple times a year. In North America, hurricanes and wildfires have dominated headlines — resulting in key resource outages across large areas.
With an outdated, vastly distributed network, the damaging effect of changing weather conditions and a need to reduce emissions, E&U companies are in the middle of a perfect storm. These organizations need to be more strategic; this means assessing critical assets before and after a storm, investing where it matters and planning for better resilience and restoration. It’s no longer about how to play the defense game against climate change, it’s how to build a reliable future.
