Grid dependence is the reliance of a site, system, or organization on external electricity supply for normal operation. If a facility cannot keep running without utility power, it is grid-dependent. This matters in cyber security because modern attacks often target availability: a power outage can stop servers, disable sensors, interrupt production, and lock out access controls even when the network itself is intact.
In real defenses, reducing grid dependence means adding resilience, not just generating more power. Common measures include UPS units, backup generators, battery storage, local solar with islanding support, and orderly shutdown procedures. Security teams also monitor how power loss affects authentication, communications, and industrial control systems. The key lesson is that electricity is part of the threat model: if an attacker can disrupt the grid, or a defender cannot tolerate a loss of utility power, then business continuity depends on how well the environment can operate through that interruption.