Grid under pressure
Engineers at the National Energy System Operator (NESO) have raised the alarm in a confidential report, saying they no longer have full visibility or control over Britain’s electricity system. The rapid growth of wind, solar, batteries and smaller local generators is outpacing their ability to monitor everything in real time.
What happened on 23 June
During a heatwave, grid frequency drifted outside normal limits for nearly 50 minutes. Five transmission constraints were breached, with one exceeding its limit by around 700 MW. NESO had to call on emergency generation and cut exports to keep the lights on.
Ofgem has now launched an investigation into the incident and the wider operational concerns.
Direct from the engineers
NESO engineers stated, "We the engineers have asked Ofgem to investigate and ensure the system is safe for two years now". They added, "We don't have control of the system. We have tried our best. It's now over to the public and the regulator. Please help".
What this means for households
With the grid becoming more decentralised, keeping supply and demand balanced is getting harder. That can lead to higher system costs that eventually show up on bills.
We’re keeping a close eye on developments at Ofgem and NESO. In the meantime, if you want to make sure you’re on the best available tariff while the system sorts itself out, compare energy deals here.
