Ed Miliband’s solar power dream could overwhelm UK grid in months | UK | News

The UK could face power cuts, power station closures and even paying households to use more electricity if the power grid is overloaded with solar power this summer. The National Energy System Operator (NESO) said it would have to use “more tools, more often” to keep power networks stable if sunny weather causes fluctuations in energy production.

This includes paying households and factories to consume more energy for the first time and ordering major power stations to shut down. The warning came as Rachel Reeves traveled to Washington to appeal to a meeting of world leaders to “follow her plan” to combat the energy crisis caused by the Iran war. At the International Monetary Fund (IMF) summit, the Chancellor will call on countries to adopt net zero emissions and pledge to “do everything we can to keep costs low for British people”.

With Donald Trump Oil traders, who threatened to blockade Iranian ships trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday (April 13), warned that crude oil prices could rise from $100 (£74) per barrel to well above $66 (£49) to $150 (£111).

NESO said in its summer outlook there are no concerns about the security of electricity supply this summer. But he warned that solar excess and periods of “low demand” were making grid management more difficult as Energy Secretary Ed Miliband built new wind and solar farms in line with his goal of reaching net zero. Telegram reported.

As the UK’s Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Mr Miliband is leading the aggressive expansion of wind and solar farms with the aim of making Britain a “clean energy superpower” by 2030. His strategy involves using Government contracts to overrule local planning objections, fast-track large-scale projects and guarantee prices for renewable energy developers. It has supported projects such as the Imerys Wind Farm in Cornwall and the 800-megawatt Springwell Solar Farm in Lincolnshire.

Grid instability occurs when energy demand is low but renewable sources produce large amounts of energy. If not properly balanced, this can cause power outages. But many onshore solar and wind farms are not directly connected to the main transmission system and cannot be managed by NESO, which monitors electricity demand in real time and constantly balances it with supply to keep the grid at the correct frequency and voltage.

NESO said there was a 75% chance that national demand would fall to a record low over the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May as households were less likely to be at home. The previous record of 12.8 gigawatts was set last May, but grid chiefs expect that to drop to 11 gigawatts this year. By comparison, passive generation from wind and solar farms could be around 18-19 gigawatts.

An expert has warned that there are echoes of mass power outages on the Iberian Peninsula in April last year, when a chain reaction involving solar farms knocked out electricity in mainland Portugal and the Spanish peninsula for around 10 hours. Kayte O’Neill, Neso’s chief operating officer, said grid bosses were “confident we have the right tools to ensure the system operates safely, reliably and efficiently”, including a new expanded demand elasticity service that will pay people to use excess power.

A Government spokesman said: “Independent system operators have confirmed a positive outlook for the UK’s energy supply, with both electricity and gas expected to comfortably meet demand this summer thanks to our diverse and resilient energy system.

“As the conflict in the Middle East shows, the best way to increase energy security in the long term is to accelerate the production of clean domestic energy that we control, including renewable energy and nuclear energy.”