Britain’s electricity supply might be tight at times this winter, the body that is tasked with balancing the grid has said. The Electricity System Operator (ESO) forecast that margins might narrow significantly towards the very end of the year, but it believes it should be able to keep the lights on.
“Our operational modelling indicates that there could be some tight periods this winter, which are most likely to occur in the first half of December,” it said in a report issued ahead of winter. The grid needs to make sure that it has enough electricity generators ready to go when demand for electricity peaks.
It means that it needs to maintain a margin above the forecasted demand to deal with any short spikes. If the margin falls below certain levels the ESO will send out a so-called Electricity Margin Notice (EMN). This lets generators know that more electricity is needed.
