Electricity Generation as an Essential Service of Critical Infrastructure

Electricity is so taken for granted in modern society that we often realize its importance only at the moment of an outage. Every light that is switched on, every functioning hospital, production line, data center, or ATM depends on a reliable supply of electricity. This is also why electricity generation is among the most important essential services of the critical infrastructure of the Slovak Republic.

Did you know that Slovakia is among the countries with the highest share of nuclear energy in electricity generation in the world?

Following the commissioning of Unit 3 of the Mochovce Nuclear Power Plant, more than 60% of the electricity generated in Slovakia comes from nuclear sources. Within the European Union, Slovakia has long ranked among the countries with the highest share of nuclear power in electricity generation. In other words, more than every second kilowatt-hour generated in Slovakia is produced in nuclear power plants.

The Position of Electricity Generation within the Structure of Critical Infrastructure

For better orientation, below is the position of this essential service within the energy sector as defined in Annex No. 1 to Act No. 367/2024 Coll. on Critical Infrastructure:

Sector: Energy
Subsector: Electricity
Category of entities: electricity producers under a special regulation — Section 3 letter b), first point, of Act No. 251/2012 Coll. on Energy, as amended
Essential services: electricity generation
Central authority: Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic

The Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic, in its position as the central authority, ensures the fulfillment of tasks arising from the Critical Infrastructure Act, including the identification of critical entities and the coordination of measures to strengthen their resilience.

Not every electricity producer automatically becomes a critical entity. The decisive factors are, in particular, the significance of the service provided, the scale of generation, the impact of a possible disruption, and its potential effect on national security, the economy, or the population.

Why Is Electricity Generation So Important?

Electricity generation is one of the essential services on which virtually all other sectors of critical infrastructure directly depend. Without electricity, the following, for example, would not function:

• hospitals and healthcare facilities,
• drinking water supply systems,
• telecommunications networks and the internet,
• the banking and financial sector,
• transport,
• industrial production,
• public administration authorities,
• security and rescue services.

This is precisely why the electricity sector is often referred to as the “infrastructure of infrastructures.” A disruption in electricity generation can, within a short period of time, trigger cascading consequences across society as a whole.

Who Can Generate Electricity?

Electricity generation in Slovakia is subject to energy legislation and regulatory supervision. Electricity is produced by various types of sources:

• nuclear power plants,
• hydropower plants,
• thermal power plants,
• gas-fired sources,
• photovoltaic power plants,
• wind power plants,
• facilities using biomass or biogas,
• industrial enterprises producing electricity both for their own consumption and for supply to the grid.

From the perspective of critical infrastructure, large generation sources are of particular importance, especially those whose outage could negatively affect the stability of the electricity system of the Slovak Republic.

Several Interesting Figures

Slovakia generates approximately 28 to 30 TWh of electricity annually, with nuclear sources accounting for more than 60% of total production.

For better perspective:

• 1 TWh represents 1 billion kWh of electricity,
• Slovakia’s annual electricity production would cover the consumption of several million households,
• the largest Slovak electricity producer generates more than 20 TWh of electricity per year.

If all the electricity generated in Slovakia in one year were used exclusively for charging electric vehicles, it would be sufficient for more than approximately 500 billion kilometers of driving, which represents a distance of more than 13 million trips from the Earth to the Moon.

Specific Features of Electricity Generation

Electricity generation differs from many other sectors in one fundamental respect — electricity cannot be easily stored on a large scale. It must be generated practically at the same moment as it is consumed.

This places high demands on:

• production planning,
• consumption forecasting,
• the reliability of technological equipment,
• coordination among producers, the transmission system operator, and distribution companies,
• physical and cybersecurity.



Electricity generation is also closely interconnected with the European electricity system, which brings advantages in terms of stability, but also new security challenges.

The Most Significant Risks

Technical Failures

Failures of generation equipment, transformers, or control systems may cause a reduction in generation or the shutdown of a source.

Cyberattacks

Modern power plants depend on digital technologies and industrial control systems. Today, cyberattacks are among the most significant security threats to the energy sector.

Physical Security Incidents

Sabotage, intentional damage to equipment, or terrorist attacks may have serious consequences for electricity generation and the energy security of the state.

Shortage of Input Resources

Electricity generation depends on reliable supplies of nuclear fuel, natural gas, biomass, and other energy raw materials.

Extreme Weather Events

Floods, strong winds, extreme temperatures, drought, or icing may negatively affect both the generation and distribution of electricity.

Supply Chain Risks

One of the most significant challenges in recent years has been the availability of spare parts, specialized technologies, service capacities, and qualified suppliers.

This is precisely why modern approaches to the protection of critical infrastructure increasingly focus on the identification and management of risks in supply chains, which may have a fundamental impact on the continuity of the provision of essential services.

The Role of the Critical Infrastructure Association of the Slovak Republic

The Critical Infrastructure Association of the Slovak Republic supports the strengthening of the resilience of critical entities also in the field of electricity generation. It focuses in particular on education, the exchange of experience, support for the implementation of legislative requirements, assessment of supply chain risks, and the development of cooperation between the public and private sectors.

In an environment of growing cyber, technological, and geopolitical threats, cooperation and the sharing of expert knowledge represent one of the most effective tools for strengthening the resilience of the energy infrastructure of the Slovak Republic.