German Utility Calls For Grid Protection After Eco-Terrorist Attack On Tesla Plant

German utility Westenergie CEO Katherina Reiche has called for a collaboration between policymakers and power grid operators to strengthen the response to attacks on the country’s power infrastructure. The executive’s comments come on the heels of the suspected arson attack against Tesla Giga Berlin-Brandenburg in Grünheide, Germany. 

 

As noted in a Reuters report, Reiche told reporters in Duesseldorf that security measures needed reviewing and a better legal framework must be created. “Critical infrastructure is vulnerable,” Reiche noted. 

 

The Westenergie executive’s comments come from a place of experience. The utility’s subsidiary, Westnetz, after all, dealt with the restoration of power to tens of thousands of households in western Germany in 2021. That event, however, was caused by flooding. As per Reiche, a different strategy would be needed when dealing with deliberate acts of sabotage.