Preliminary wildfire probes and distribution network responsibility
Preliminary investigations cited in the material indicate that incidents associated with the electricity network may have been linked to around 75% of the area burned by wildfires this year. The assessment contrasts with distribution operator DEDDIE’s earlier position that its infrastructure was responsible for about 1% of forest fires in 2025.
Recent fires in Attica, Crete and Arta have brought the issue back into focus. Attention has centred on inspection programmes and vegetation clearance around electricity infrastructure.
Scale of DEDDIE’s distribution system amid rising monitoring demands
The operational challenge described in the material is substantial for DEDDIE. The operator manages almost 254,000 kilometres of network and more than 167,000 substations, serving around 7.67 million users.
The system also faces increased monitoring and maintenance requirements as more than 9.1 GW of renewable capacity has been connected. That adds to the volume and complexity of infrastructure requiring oversight.
Asset data gaps, outsourced work weaknesses, and staffing constraints
Technicians raised concerns about incomplete information covering the location, age and physical condition of some assets. The material also points to weaknesses in outsourced inspection and vegetation-clearance activities.
Staffing has emerged as another constraint, with the technical workforce estimated at around 3,000. The estimate is described as significantly below historical levels.
Targeted undergrounding options and regulator scrutiny of spending plans
The 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, according to the material.
The alternative approach being discussed includes undergrounding in particularly high-risk locations, greater use of insulated conductors, automated fault-isolation equipment, drones and sensors. It also includes more intensive preventive maintenance.
DEDDIE has an investment programme running through 2030, but regulator RAAEY has criticised delays in maintenance and questioned elements of planned expenditure. The emphasis is therefore described as shifting toward capital allocation speed rather than capital volume, including whether investment reaches parts of the distribution network exposed to weather, vegetation, equipment failure and wildfire risk.
