On the Research Network Event this week we discussed this issue in great detail.
We have identified, that this is not only discussed at EU level, but also in German ministries (BMWE) and at different grid operators.
In a current research project, a commercial partner is not sharing grid data anymore and blocking our research.
To have a consolidated community view on this I set up a petition / supporter list and invite everybody to sign and get involved.
Thanks to Tom (@tom_brown) and Berit (@berit.mueller) for the initial commit.
One open task is to discuss and define the data that must be kept secret.
Tom listed the following:
Some data should not be shared: There is no public benefit to sharing information on security protocols, software versions, locations of security cameras, or the exact pathways of underground cables and pipelines. This data would help our adversaries and should remain private.
I only doubt the geolocation of cables but think we can go into more detail here as a community effort.
By listing everything critical, we can apply and use this petition to argue for releasing and licensing of additional energy data that is not critical at all.
Description:
We, the undersigned, support the public availability of grid data
on power lines and substations as an indispensable foundation
for research, planning, and the energy transition.
Sign the Open Letter:
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The posting that @ludwig.huelk referred to, in full:
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Proposals to criminalize publication of critical infrastructure data
In Germany, at least, there is now a discussion about introducing legislation to prevent the publication of data related to critical infrastructure. I presume such legislation would be based on national security grounds and would criminalize the disclosure or distribution of such data. Breaching such a law would be a serious matter indeed.
There would undoubtedly be exemptions for researchers. However, the problem with open science projects is that they offer no clear distinction between institutional researchers and other contributors. I suspect that key academics would be presented with non-disclosure agreements, leaving them with the choice of abandoning their communities or continuing with their open research methods with severely impaired datasets.
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Hello @ludwig.huelk and thank you for this.
Intention to irrelevantly close this knowledge is indeed a concern.
Ia already shared this with @tom_brown and I think this should also be a point: obscurity has hidden costs.
It’s indeed an illusion and also we have no idea how costly it would be.
As mentioned by @robbie.morrison, researchers may abandon their community but the whole industry should also propose numerous new processes to ensure the safety of this data (platforms, credentials, monitoring, tests, classification, roles… wow). Every cent spent on this mess won’t be useful and it would finally divert everyone from protecting what actually deserves it (particularly by finding flaws that should be fixed as soon as possible).
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Thank you for the feedback. I got more feedback via mail and I try to follow up this week.
There is a good point, that people did not really understand what they are signing for.
I would be really happy to get your help on wording and information.
An open question and discussion is the section “WHAT SHOULD NOT BE PUBLISHED”.
Tom mentioned the exact route of underground cables. This can be doubted by the argumentation that the information is needed to prevent accidents by construction. There was a blackout incident in Berlin Köpenick some years ago. An excavator cut some cables on a bridge because they were not in the plans.
I would like to finish a consolidated document by 11.5.2026.
Where is this open letter needed:
1. EU: European Grids Package - Discussions and send to MEP
2. DE: HEDWIG der BNetzA https://www.bundesnetzagentur.de/DE/Fachthemen/ElektrizitaetundGas/Hedwig_111g/start.html
Comments may be submitted until May 13, 2026 (date of receipt).
3. Research projects in which it is difficult to obtain the necessary information from partners and network operators.
4. DE: The CYANE call for proposals, which will begin in late 2026 (Funded by BMWE).
Please note the new location of the draft open letter:
You will need trust level 2 (TL2) or better to access and edit. Almost all subscribers will have this status.
Please do not work on the etherpad version.
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