Greece’s electricity distribution infrastructure is facing renewed scrutiny as preliminary investigations into this year’s wildfires raise questions over network maintenance, asset condition and vegetation management.
According to the material cited in the newsletter, preliminary investigations indicated that incidents associated with the electricity network may have been linked to around 75% of the area burned by wildfires this year. That assessment contrasts sharply with distribution operator DEDDIE’s earlier position that its infrastructure was responsible for only about 1% of forest fires in 2025.
Recent fires in Attica, Crete and Arta have brought the issue back into focus, particularly the effectiveness of inspection programs and vegetation clearance around electricity infrastructure.
The operational challenge is substantial. DEDDIE manages almost 254,000 kilometres of network and more than 167,000 substations, serving around 7.67 million users. At the same time, more than 9.1 GW of renewable capacity has been connected to the system, increasing the volume and complexity of infrastructure requiring monitoring and maintenance.
Technicians have raised concerns about incomplete information covering the location, age and physical condition of some assets, as well as weaknesses in outsourced inspection and vegetation-clearance activities. Staffing has also emerged as a constraint, with the technical workforce estimated at around 3,000, significantly below historical levels.
Wholesale conversion of overhead networks to underground cables is not regarded as economically realistic. Underground systems can cost as much as five times more than overhead lines. The alternative being discussed is a more targeted approach: undergrounding in particularly high-risk locations, greater use of insulated conductors, automated fault-isolation equipment, drones, sensors and more intensive preventive maintenance.
DEDDIE already has an investment programme running through 2030, but regulator RAAEY has criticised delays in maintenance and questioned elements of planned expenditure. That puts the emphasis increasingly on capital allocation rather than simply capital volume. The central issue is whether available investment is being directed quickly enough toward the parts of the Greek distribution network most exposed to weather, vegetation, equipment failure and wildfire risk.
