Grid operator denies allegations of a security cover but launches independent investigation, citing serious nature of concerns raised by former UK energy minister Claire Coutinho. Member of Parliament says whistleblowers allege interference with control room engineering decisions, and management pressure to hide information on grid security.
Serious allegations over the security of Great Britain’s electricity grid have emerged in the wake of grid operator NESO issuing its first ever summer Electricity Margin Notice (EMN) on June 23.
On July 7 former UK Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho MP raised the “risk of blackouts from the increasing instability of our electricity grid” in a parliamentary debate, and informed the UK House of Commons that she had been contacted by a whistleblower “at the heart of our grid operator.”
“They allege that senior managers have ordered control room operators to hide information that shows that the grid is not being run securely. They also allege that corporate affairs have interfered with the operational decisions needed to stabilize the grid in order to protect the NESO’s reputation.”
The allegations, strongly denied by the grid operator, are focused on the week commencing June 22, when the United Kingdom and much of Europe experienced extreme heat, with high temperatures placing significant stress on power systems and creating tight operational margins.
