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Open Energy Grid Data - Open Letter

Description

We, the undersigned, support the public availability of open grid data on power lines and substations, as well as information on energy infrastructure, as an indispensable foundation for research, planning, and the energy transition.

Wir, die Unterzeichnenden, unterstützen die Verfügbarkeit von offenen Netzdaten zu Stromleitungen und Umspannwerken und Energie-Infrastruktur als unverzichtbare Grundlage für Forschung, Planung und die Energiewende.

Background - What is this about?

Open grid data is data about the electricity grid (e.g. line routes, substations, voltage levels) that is freely available under an open license to read, download, modify, and redistribute.

Projects like OpenStreetMap and the Open Infrastructure Map make such data available worldwide. They form the basis for important scientific models like, which are used for energy transition planning across Europe and beyond.

In January 2026, following an arson attack on a cable bridge in Berlin, a public debate arose over whether open infrastructure data poses a security threat. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for information about critical infrastructure to no longer be publicly available. The same issue is currently being discussed at the EU level.

We believe this is wrong and here is why.