Cyberattack or major storm would have 'catastrophic' impact on electricity grid

ESB crews restore power to homes in Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare on the west coast of Ireland after Storm Franklin.

Ireland could face a catastrophic, wide-scale electricity blackout in the event of a cyberattack, a major storm, or a shortage of fossil fuels.

A cyberattack on grid-connected IT systems, although deemed ‘unlikely’, could have ‘disastrous’ consequences, including a widescale blackout lasting for days, a new report by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities has found.