Last week, the government decided to assign Svenska kraftnät the task of exploring the potential use of civil service within the electricity supply sector. The objective is to enhance Sweden’s capability for repairs, thereby securing the country’s electricity supply needs during heightened preparedness, especially in times of war.
Energy and Industry Minister Ebba Busch emphasized that a nation’s energy supply could be a strategic target during war, making the ability to repair facilities crucial for sustaining the needed energy supply, as witnessed in events like those in Ukraine. The directive to Svenska kraftnät is another step in the government’s efforts to bolster supply security within the energy sector.
Civil service is a crucial tool for ensuring the personnel reinforcement needed to ensure the smooth functioning of vital functions during heightened preparedness and, ultimately, in times of war. In light of this, Svenska kraftnät will analyze the need for civil service within electricity supply, identify measures required to enlist individuals with relevant expertise as civilians within the sector, and assess how the current repair readiness task force at Svenska kraftnät is affected by heightened preparedness.
In July, the government initiated an inquiry into the long-term sustainable staffing of civil defense. However, there is an immediate need to strengthen civil defense. The memorandum “Activation of Civil Service in Municipal Rescue Services and Electricity Supply” proposes enabling the swift activation of civil service for individuals with relevant expertise in these areas. The memorandum underscores that the practical conditions for civil service need further analysis by Svenska kraftnät.
Minister for Civil Defense Carl-Oskar Bohlin stated, “The government continues to take measures to strengthen civil defense. One such measure is civil service within the electricity supply sector. This provides the conditions to rapidly increase the available personnel in repair readiness during heightened preparedness.”