Holding the Grid: Ukraine’s Energy Resilience Playbook

by DiXi Group

Ukraine’s experience demonstrates that energy resilience is not a property of any single asset or system — it is produced by a portfolio of capabilities that must function simultaneously and reinforce each other: distributed and flexible generation, robust and repairable grids, standardised recovery logistics, layered protection, cross-sector urban planning, disciplined communication, demand-side adaptability, and regulation that removes friction without removing accountability.

Institutionalising these capabilities means shifting from ad-hoc emergency response to a durable resilience-by-design model embedded in infrastructure planning, investment decisions, and governance frameworks.

11 PRINCIPLES FOR ENERGY RESILIENCE

• Reduce strategic dependence on centralised generation;

• Protect and expand flexible generation;

• Prioritise grid resilience to ensure generation capacity use;

• Consider cascading dependencies in urban energy systems as a distinct risk;

• Ensure Interconnectivity as a strategic resilience factor, but account for constraints;

• Standardise equipment and repair approaches to accelerate recovery;

• Integrate air defence, physical (engineering) and cyber protection into energy security planning;

• Build logistics resilience, reserves, and clear prioritisation for supplying primary energy sources;

• Strengthen crisis communications and grassroot preparedness;

• Enable industrial adaptation through backup supply and energy management;

• Use regulatory policy to accelerate reconstruction and restore market stability.