Britain’s National Energy System Operator has asked electricity providers to make more power available for Tuesday evening, 6 October, after forecasting a tighter margin between supply and demand. It says households do not need to take any action.
NESO issued an Electricity Margin Notice for the period from 3 pm to 11 pm. It estimated a shortfall of 1,880 megawatts in its preferred safety margin. The figure refers to the extra capacity it wants available as a cushion, not an electricity shortfall already affecting customers.
Bloomberg reported that forecasts for wind generation had fallen sharply. Citing figures from electricity market operator Elexon, it said output at 6 pm was forecast at 2.2 gigawatts, about 40% below the forecast made a day earlier. Those figures are forecasts and may change as the day progresses.
NESO told PA Media, carried by ITV News, that the notice is a routine precaution giving generators an opportunity to offer additional capacity. It said there was no risk to customer electricity supplies and that the notice was not a warning of power cuts.
On its website, NESO explains that it issues such notices when it wants a larger reserve of available power. A notice alone does not mean there is insufficient electricity to meet demand. The position could change as providers respond and NESO updates its forecasts.
