Britain's electricity grid operator says supply secure for winter despite staff concerns

The National Energy System Operator (NESO), which runs Great Britain's electricity network, has said the system is prepared for this winter and should remain secure, after some of its engineers raised concerns about supply.

NESO's winter outlook report said supplies were expected to remain secure through the colder months and that the system was "resilient to the challenges it may face". It warned there could be "tight days", when it would send notices to power producers that extra electricity generation may be needed. NESO said such notices are routine and are not a warning of power cuts.

"While we never take resilience for granted, households and businesses can be confident that Great Britain's electricity system remains secure, reliable and among the most resilient in the world," said Deborah Petterson, director of whole energy system resilience at NESO.

Investigation findings

The assurance came after an independent investigation by law firm Eversheds Sutherland found "high levels of stress and concern" among staff at NESO's Electricity National Control Centre. The report said the concerns related to the current state of the energy industry and the longer-term ability to keep supply and demand balanced.

According to evidence from staff, traditional generation such as gas was easier to manage than renewables, which were less flexible, making the job of matching supply with demand more difficult. The probe also found a "significant disconnect" between control room workers and NESO's leadership. Multiple witnesses said senior leaders did not fully understand how the control room works or the pressures faced by frontline staff responsible for keeping the lights on.

The investigation was prompted after Conservative shadow energy secretary Clare Coutinho said in July that a whistle-blower had contacted her alleging NESO was "hiding information about how securely our grid is being run". One claim was that control room staff were encouraged to conceal or alter records to avoid a paper trail linked to efforts to stabilise the grid during a period of extreme heat in June. The allegation said this was to avoid public scrutiny or reputational damage. Eversheds said it did not substantiate any of the whistle-blower allegations, but it identified cultural, governance and control issues that it described as significant findings in their own right.

Fintan Slye, chief executive of NESO, which is owned by the government, said the investigation identified areas where the organisation could improve how colleagues raise concerns and how it responds to them. "I want all colleagues at NESO to feel heard. We will act on the recommendations, working closely with our trade unions, and be open with colleagues about the progress we make," he said.

Separately, National Gas, a private company that owns and runs the country's gas network and is separate from NESO, said it expected sufficient supply to meet demand this winter. It forecast that gas for power generation would increase at peak demand because of the "intermittent" nature of renewables.

Source: BBC Science.