MİA published its analysis titled “Energy Security and Digital-Green Transformation: Transition to Smart and Carbon-Free Grids”

Petroturk | Energy News

• Published September 5, 2025, 5:32 PM

According to a written statement from the MİA, the analysis addressed critical issues such as energy supply security, grid stability, the effects of climate change, cybersecurity and technological dependency.

The analysis emphasized that the digital-green transformation poses not only opportunities but also new risks, and that maintaining the reliability and stability of electricity grids is one of the most important challenges facing modern societies.

The analysis, which states that a complete or partial unintentional power outage of the electrical system is defined as a "system blackout," points out that such events not only halt economic activities but also disrupt daily life, and that in some cases, these outages have reached a level that threatens public safety.

Power outage in Europe

In the analysis, the power outage that started in Spain on April 28, 2025, affecting Portugal and France and lasting approximately 10 hours was highlighted as the most recent example.

The analysis noted that thousands of people were stranded in subways, train stations, airports, and ports, banking and payment systems collapsed, hospitals could only provide services in emergencies, and a state of emergency was declared for public safety. It also emphasized the necessity of a better understanding of the causes, mechanisms, and prevention strategies of power outages and system crashes that have increased worldwide in recent years.

The analysis pointed out that in the recent system collapse in Spain, the share of renewable energy in the grid had exceeded the recommended 70 percent level, reaching 78 percent, while the failure to provide sufficient reserve capacity was a notable factor.

The analysis emphasized that the variable nature of renewable energy sources challenges grid stability, making the use of digital technologies such as smart grids, artificial intelligence, the internet of things, and data analytics essential.

The analysis stated that digital transformation is the key element supporting sustainability goals, and that smart grids provide both efficiency and flexibility.

“Current systems need to be updated”

The analysis emphasized that the large-scale power outages experienced in Europe in recent years were due to difficulties in maintaining the supply-demand balance.

The analysis highlighted that current crash prevention measures are insufficient to address the threats posed by the digital-green transformation, highlighting the importance of developing new protection strategies. It also noted that existing systems need to be updated to make energy networks more resilient.

The analysis also included the effects of extreme weather events such as storms, hurricanes, floods and droughts on energy security, and stated that the high integration of renewable resources necessitates increasing reserve capacity.

The analysis also noted that some countries prefer to reactivate nuclear power plants as emergency reserves.

New technologies, new addictions

The analysis also highlighted the critical role of AI-powered algorithms, energy storage systems, and power electronics that shape the grid. The statement noted that these technologies create new dependencies in the pursuit of energy independence, highlighting the importance of developing domestic technologies in this regard.

The analysis noted that increasing power outages worldwide are also linked to aging infrastructure, necessitating modernization of power plant and transformer center equipment. It also noted the need for improved mechanisms such as automatic load shedding in emergency situations.

The analysis reported that production fluctuations in regions with high renewable integration lead to supply-demand imbalances, and that energy storage systems should be expanded to mitigate these imbalances.

The analysis emphasized that pumped storage hydroelectric power plants have significant advantages over chemical storage, and highlighted that this method offers a solution, especially in demand fluctuations such as the "duck curve."

New approaches to long-distance energy transport

The analysis stated that renewable energy sources at long distances should be integrated into the system with high-voltage direct current lines, that smart meters and dynamic pricing are important for demand-side management, and that these methods provide grid balance by optimizing user behavior.

The analysis also emphasized that digitalization in electrical systems brings with it cyber threats, emphasizing the need to encrypt existing communication protocols and implement multi-factor authentication methods. It also noted that artificial intelligence-supported anomaly detection algorithms should be deployed to combat false data injection attacks.

Training and awareness programs against cyber threats

The analysis stated that new modeling and optimization tools are needed to increase operators' planning capabilities, that training and awareness programs against cyber threats are critical, and that rapid response capacity is a key element for energy supply security.

The analysis also assessed that regional and international cooperation among network operators would strengthen cyber threat intelligence sharing and that coordinated response mechanisms would enhance network security. The analysis specifically emphasized that these prevention methods should be developed domestically and that energy independence is only possible by reducing technological dependency.

The analysis can be accessed via the official website of the National Intelligence Academy, “ mia.edu.tr ”.

AA