London and South East Warned of Net Zero Blackouts by National Grid Executives

London and South East Warned of Net Zero Blackouts by National Grid Executives

National Grid executives have warned of blackouts before the end of the decade in London and the South East due to unreliable wind and solar power in private remarks that contradict the company’s official position. The Telegraph has more.

In private conversations with the energy industry, executives from the Grid’s Electricity System Operator (ESO) claimed the network was becoming so congested that “there will be blackouts in the South East by 2028”, one industry source claimed.

They blamed the looming threat on the switch to less predictable wind and solar power, coupled with outdated market rules that critics say are exacerbating bottlenecks.

The ESO is campaigning to introduce so-called zonal pricing where power suppliers can be paid more in the South East than elsewhere if demand is higher.

A second energy industry source confirmed that the ESO is “very worried about keeping the lights on” in the region, adding that the possibility of blackouts was “credible” in the coming years if the problem was not addressed.

The ESO on Tuesday said that its official position did not predict blackouts in 2028, but declined to comment on the private remarks.

Worth reading in full.

In the Spectator, Ross Clark says the fact that National Grid’s “public utterances are at odds with what its executives are saying in private is perhaps the most worrying aspect. It shows we are not having an open and honest debate about Miliband’s decarbonisation plan, nor about Net Zero targets in general”.

Published: 08-08-2024