The National Grid has announced that the Britain's winter capacity is at its lowest in a decade, posing risk of blackouts. However, it states it should be manageable, so long as they are able to enlist power stations to provide the extra capacity. This rising risk of blackouts also means that factories may need to be paid to switch off on weekday evenings, so as to keep household lights on, says the grid. The National Grid has faced criticism for allowing a fall in spare capacity from a peak of 16.8% - excluding additional sources - as recently as 2011-2012, and this winter it will have even less breathing space, following the closures and reduction in output at a number of power stations.
The National Grid has announced that the UK's winter capacity is at its lowest in a decade, posing risk of blackouts. However, it states it should be manageable, so long as they are able to enlist power stations to provide the extra capacity. This rising risk of blackouts also means that factories may need to be paid to switch off on weekday evenings, so as to keep household lights on, says the grid. The National Grid has faced criticism for allowing a fall in spare capacity from a peak of 16.8% - excluding additional sources - as recently as 2011-2012, and this winter it will have even less breathing space, following the closures and reduction in output at a number of power stations.