One topic that I discuss repeatedly with many colleagues at Trench Group is the importance of electricity for our modern society. After all, the components and systems we manufacture are indispensable for power transmission grids. Figuratively speaking, these grids are the cardiovascular system of society. If these grids do not function, no electricity flows.

That is why we bear a great responsibility for what we do. To stay with the metaphor: if the cardiovascular system is interrupted, blood no longer flows through the body – and then the person dies. Applied to the grid, this means that if it is interrupted, there will be a blackout. And we must avoid that at all costs.

Security of supply is not a luxury—it is survival.

However, these discussions also repeatedly raise the question of whether the population is even aware of these facts. That is why we decided to get to the bottom of this issue. We commissioned a survey – the opinion research institute Civey was asked to take a representative look at the question of how important electricity is for everyday life and how important power grids are for a functioning economy and society in the eyes of Germans.

The results show that many people view potential supply interruptions as a serious risk. 81% of respondents cited a prolonged power outage as the greatest infrastructure risk for Germany. In addition, just under half said that a power outage would have more serious consequences for everyday life than rising electricity prices. A particularly common concern was that food could spoil without refrigeration.

A fragile consensus can shatter with a single blackout.

This perception highlights an increased awareness of the importance of a secure electricity supply. The fact that this issue is coming more into focus is also due to individual events abroad, such as temporary outages at London Heathrow Airport or on the Iberian Peninsula this year. Such incidents make it clear that security of supply cannot be taken for granted.

The public debate focuses on electricity prices, grid fees, and the expansion of renewables. That is important. But we must finally take a look at the entire system. Our electricity infrastructure not only needs more renewable energy generation—above all, it needs resilience. We need grids that can do more than just distribute. We need protective mechanisms that do more than just sound the alarm. And we need storage systems that work in reality—not just on paper.

Resilience is the new currency of energy systems.

The energy transition must not remain a balancing act. The social consensus for it is there – but it is fragile. A blackout would be more than a technical problem. It would be a political earthquake. If Germans doubt that electricity will flow reliably, they will doubt the system itself.

That is why electricity security must be at the top of the priority list for decision-makers in politics and business! At present, the German power grids are not in a position to cope with the planned expansion of renewable energies. The only answer to this is to rapidly expand the power grids – not to slow down the expansion of renewables. The flip-flopping in politics is not good for society.

Without trust in the grid, there is no trust in progress.

What we need, therefore, is concerted action to ensure security of supply! To achieve this, everyone must come to the table: grid operators, industry, local authorities, the armed forces, civil protection and disaster control, manufacturers of critical infrastructure – and politicians. We must not only ask how we can become climate-neutral, but also how we can remain stable in terms of supply.

The results of our survey are a warning sign. People in this country are not hysterical—they are wide awake. Now it is up to us to draw the right conclusions. Because in the new energy world, the bottleneck will not be the price—it will be the moment when the power stops flowing.