Iceland has been named the most energy-resilient country in the world, followed by Norway, according to a new global study from TRG Datacenters. The study, prompted by a major blackout in Spain on April 28 that cut nearly 60% of the country’s power in five seconds, evaluated 79 nations on their ability to recover from large-scale electricity outages.
The resulting Energy Independence and Resilience Index assessed five key metrics, with the highest weight given to electricity production from hydroelectric sources, overall reliance on alternative and nuclear energy, and low fossil fuel consumption. These three core factors were emphasized due to their direct impact on a country’s ability to restore grid functionality after a failure. Hydroelectric plants, in particular, can return to full output within five minutes – faster than any other energy source.
Iceland ranked first, with 89.3% of its total energy use coming from clean sources such as hydro and geothermal, and 70.2% of its electricity generated from hydroelectric facilities. Norway followed, producing 89.1% of its electricity from hydropower – more than any other country on the list – and sourcing over half of its energy from renewables.
Switzerland ranked third, with a strong mix of hydro and nuclear energy contributing to low fossil fuel dependence and high energy efficiency. Sweden placed fourth, followed by New Zealand, Brazil, Austria, Latvia, France, and Ecuador.
The top ten countries, according to the index, are as follows:
“Energy is the foundation of every data center – without it, the internet stops,” said a TRG Datacenters spokesperson. “From streaming platforms to online banking, most of what people rely on every day runs through a data center. In places like Northern Virginia, where data centers are densely clustered, a major outage could have global ripple effects. Most facilities rely on generators, but those depend on fuel – and in a large-scale event, delivery isn’t guaranteed. At TRG, we store over five days of fuel on-site to stay ahead of that risk.”
The spokesperson added: “This study shows that clean energy and resilience can go hand in hand – countries with strong hydro infrastructure bounce back faster. As we shift toward more variable sources like wind and solar, pairing them with storage and backup systems will be key to keeping critical infrastructure online.”
For the full study and methodology, readers can refer to the Energy Independence and Resilience Index published by TRG Datacenters.
Credit: https://www.trgdatacenters.com/
