Abstract

Critical infrastructure represents the sectors whose failure would cause considerable damage, and possibly even social crisis. Critical infrastructure sectors are different but in contemporary conditions increasingly more interconnected. The logic behind determining the position of different objects providing key functions within critical infrastructure networks is based on systemic resilience and redundancy. This is defined as the ability of the system to survive a major shock and recover within a reasonable time and at reasonable cost. In the case of an electric power system, or grid, this means that without having redundancy and reliable reserve electric power production capacities a system cannot guarantee a stable supply of electricity in the long run. Analysis of a potential major shock and the possible consequent larger electricity supply failure in Slovenia, and even more so to a certain extent the possible breakup of the Slovenian electric power system, shows that in terms of a single source thermal power plant Termoelektrarna Brestanica fully qualifies for the role of Slovenian electric power system redundancy, as it has the capacity to prevent much greater damage than the national criteria for critical infrastructure requires.


Key words: Externalities, National Security, Electric Utilities, Energy - Government Policy

JEL:  D62, H56, L94, Q48