Britain’s net zero transition risks pushing electricity bills higher and leaving the country more vulnerable to power blackouts, according to a leaked report commissioned by the national grid system.
The report was produced by energy consultancy Cornwall Insight for the National Energy System Operator, known as Neso, and shared with The Times by a whistleblower.
Neso, which is owned by the government, cannot accurately map the modern power system amid the government’s accelerating green energy push, the report revealed.
The whistleblower warned that Neso was “flying blind, every minute of every day” in its ability to understand energy supply and demand across the network.
The source issued a stark warning, stating directly: “We are risking a total blackout.”
Inaccurate energy forecasts are inflating costs for consumers and leaving Neso less equipped to prevent potential blackouts, the report found.
The whistleblower also alleged that national grid engineers “have been raising these issues for two years” but said executives “are too scared politically to say renewables are making the system unsafe.”
Cornwall Insight said the rise of renewable power sources, including wind farms, solar panels, and batteries, has given grid operators “reduced visibility of the capacity which is supplying and taking power from the GB network,” complicating forecasting of supply and demand.
The report was completed just weeks before the UK’s June heatwave, with Neso since warning that “extreme temperatures” may hit power supplies as households’ fan and air conditioner use places a record strain on the grid.
An overnight notice issued by Neso on 9 July called on energy companies to generate additional power supply to satisfy demand during the heatwave period.
This marked the energy operator’s second warning within a single month, having already called for more power during June’s heatwave, which saw temperatures reach a record high of 37.7C.
The concerns arrive after two of the UK’s leading energy industry bodies called on new prime minister Andy Burnham to slash green levies on energy bills for businesses or risk jeopardising economic growth.
The accumulation of grid warnings and industry pressure is intensifying scrutiny over whether the pace of Britain’s renewable transition is outstripping the technical ability of operators to manage the network safely and efficiently.