1-20 of 1,543 results for subject:"Power failures"
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To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she plans to review the compensation available to households and businesses impacted by electricity outages.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she plans to review the compensation available to households and businesses impacted by electricity outages.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to ensure that UK Power Networks provides timely and accessible information to impacted by unplanned power outages.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to ensure that UK Power Networks provides timely and accessible information to impacted by unplanned power outages.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has had discussions with Ofgem on the performance of UK Power Networks in restoring supplies and communicating with customers during power outages.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has had discussions with Ofgem on the performance of UK Power Networks in restoring supplies and communicating with customers during power outages.
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the resilience of mobile networks during power outages in rural communities.
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the resilience of mobile networks during power outages in rural communities.
The Government recognises the importance of networks being as reliable as possible so that people can access the modern digital economy, communications providers have statutory responsibilities to take appropriate and proportionate measures to maintain the resilience of their networks. Power cuts can disrupt mobile services, but if the current mobile network is unavailable all emergency 999 calls automatically switch to other available networks.
Following a detailed review, Ofcom updated their regulatory guidance to operators in June 2026, confirming that mobile operators are expected to take robust measures to manage and mitigate against the risks of power outage. Government is also working closely with all of UK’s mobile operators and electricity network operators, so that industry implements measures to reduce the impact of power cuts on mobile services wherever possible.
The Government also welcomes new direct to device low earth orbit satellite services which are now available in the UK market, which can provide another means of connectivity when there is disruption to terrestrial networks.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions her Department has had with National Energy System Operator about the risk of blackouts.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions her Department has had with National Energy System Operator about the risk of blackouts.
Great Britain has a highly resilient energy system. Maintaining a secure electricity supply is a key priority for the Government.
Government works closely with industry and regulators to improve and maintain the resilience and security of energy infrastructure and is confident the likelihood of a large-scale power outage remains low.
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) has tools available to manage the system under a wide range of scenarios. The Government regularly engages with NESO and industry to understand risks to the energy system and ensure robust plans are in place to mitigate the impacts of electricity disruption.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her department is taking to prevent electricity system collapse.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her department is taking to prevent electricity system collapse.
Great Britain has a highly resilient energy system. Maintaining a secure electricity supply is a key priority for the Government.
Government works closely with industry and regulators to improve and maintain the resilience and security of energy infrastructure and is confident the likelihood of a large-scale power outage remains low.
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) has tools available to manage the system under a wide range of scenarios. The Government regularly engages with NESO and industry to understand risks to the energy system and ensure robust plans are in place to mitigate the impacts of electricity disruption.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department is taking to prevent (a) power cuts and (b) blackouts.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department is taking to prevent (a) power cuts and (b) blackouts.
Great Britain has a highly resilient energy system. Maintaining a secure electricity supply is a key priority for the Government.
Government works closely with industry and regulators to improve and maintain the resilience and security of energy infrastructure and is confident the likelihood of a large-scale power outage remains low.
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) has tools available to manage the system under a wide range of scenarios. The Government regularly engages with NESO and industry to understand risks to the energy system and ensure robust plans are in place to mitigate the impacts of electricity disruption.
Amid multiple heatwaves this summer, is the UK is prepared for extreme heat? This briefing provides an overview of the risk posed by heatwaves, government policy, progress and stakeholder comment.
Amid multiple heatwaves this summer, is the UK is prepared for extreme heat? This briefing provides an overview of the risk posed by heatwaves, government policy, progress and stakeholder comment.
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect on the UK's national resilience of replacing the centrally powered Public Switched Telephone Network with Digital Voice services which depend upon electricity and broadband equipment within individual premises; and whether they have undertaken any comparative assessment of...
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect on the UK's national resilience of replacing the centrally powered Public Switched Telephone Network with Digital Voice services which depend upon electricity and broadband equipment within individual premises; and whether they have undertaken any comparative assessment of...
The Government is committed to ensuring that any risks from the industry-led migration of the analogue Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to digital Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated for everyone across the UK. VoIP technology is more resilient, more secure, enables better quality phone calls, and can be used to block scam calls. Over 92% of PSTN landlines have already been migrated.
Communications providers are under legal obligations to ensure uninterrupted access to emergency services, including 999 and 112, and to take appropriate and proportionate steps to identify risks to network resilience and mitigate service disruption.
In November 2024, the Government secured additional safeguards from the telecoms industry. These include the provision of free battery back-ups for vulnerable and landline dependent customers to ensure access to emergency services beyond one hour in a power outage. Many providers have gone further, providing 4-7 hours.
Communications providers are also subject to robust cyber security and resilience requirements under the Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021, including obligations to identify, manage and mitigate cyber risks that could affect network availability and services.
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likelihood of power blackouts over the next five years.
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likelihood of power blackouts over the next five years.
Great Britain has a highly resilient energy system. Government works closely with industry and regulators to improve and maintain the resilience and security of energy infrastructure and is confident the likelihood of a large-scale power outage remains low.
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) takes a holistic view of the changing energy landscape to assess the future operation of Britain's electricity networks and has tools available to manage the system under a wide range of scenarios.
Where localised power disruptions do occur, for example due to faults or severe weather, established response arrangements are in place to minimise impacts and restore supplies as quickly as possible.
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the independent review into allegations regarding risk of blackouts during heatwaves make by whistle-blowers from the National Energy System Operator in July.
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the independent review into allegations regarding risk of blackouts during heatwaves make by whistle-blowers from the National Energy System Operator in July.
The Government takes this matter very seriously and welcomes both the independent review into whistleblowing allegations and the separate review into grid performance during the recent period of extreme heat. Transparency will be a central principle throughout.
The Minister for Energy wrote to the Chair of NESO urging the key findings of the independent report to be published once the investigation has concluded.
Separately, NESO's post-event analysis, and Ofgem's conclusions, will be published. This will be subject to limited redactions required to protect the anonymity of individual staff members, commercially sensitive information, national security matters, or other legitimate confidentiality considerations.
Lords statement on allegations from whistleblowers within the National Energy System Operator regarding summer blackout risk.
Lords statement on allegations from whistleblowers within the National Energy System Operator regarding summer blackout risk.
I declare my interests as chair of Amey, Acteon and Buckthorn Partners. Can the Minister confirm the comments of whistleblowers that on 23 June
“constraints were breached and system security was compromised”—
and, I might add, five safety limits were breached as well? Can he confirm that such events can directly contribute...
I declare my interests as chair of Amey, Acteon and Buckthorn Partners. Can the Minister confirm the comments of whistleblowers that on 23 June
“constraints were breached and system security was compromised”—
and, I might add, five safety limits were breached as well? Can he confirm that such events can directly contribute...
The Government take the allegations that the whistleblowers have made recently concerning the operation of NESO very seriously. An external legal firm has been appointed to investigate, reporting to a panel independent of senior management; indeed, there is the opportunity for anybody independent of senior management to make representations to...
The Government take the allegations that the whistleblowers have made recently concerning the operation of NESO very seriously. An external legal firm has been appointed to investigate, reporting to a panel independent of senior management; indeed, there is the opportunity for anybody independent of senior management to make representations to...
My Lords, these allegations, if accurate, would represent a shocking breach of public trust by an organisation now owned directly by the Government. But it also demonstrates a failure of the current whistleblowing framework that, to be heard and to have some measure of protection, the whistleblower has had to...
My Lords, these allegations, if accurate, would represent a shocking breach of public trust by an organisation now owned directly by the Government. But it also demonstrates a failure of the current whistleblowing framework that, to be heard and to have some measure of protection, the whistleblower has had to...
As far as whistleblowing is concerned, I can speak only to this particular episode, but I point to the Government’s response—or, rather, the response of NESO and other bodies—in developing very rapidly a forum in which whistleblowers can confidentially and without any concerns about their own future or safety participate...
As far as whistleblowing is concerned, I can speak only to this particular episode, but I point to the Government’s response—or, rather, the response of NESO and other bodies—in developing very rapidly a forum in which whistleblowers can confidentially and without any concerns about their own future or safety participate...
My Lords, first, in welcoming my noble friend’s response, can he confirm that there was no loss of supply to customers on the occasion of the incidents referred to? Secondly, in response to the question from the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, in which he attacked the Government’s investment in
wind...
My Lords, first, in welcoming my noble friend’s response, can he confirm that there was no loss of supply to customers on the occasion of the incidents referred to? Secondly, in response to the question from the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, in which he attacked the Government’s investment in
wind...
Yes, that does make it very important that we continue decarbonising our energy systems to make sure that they are very resilient in a different climate that we will have in the future, and that the consequences of, for example, continuing to provide energy via high-carbon fossil fuels are countered...
Yes, that does make it very important that we continue decarbonising our energy systems to make sure that they are very resilient in a different climate that we will have in the future, and that the consequences of, for example, continuing to provide energy via high-carbon fossil fuels are countered...
My Lords, does the episode not show that the integrity of the energy supply system is simply not fit for purpose? There is an overdependence on renewables that needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
My Lords, does the episode not show that the integrity of the energy supply system is simply not fit for purpose? There is an overdependence on renewables that needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
I disagree with the noble Baroness. The recent episode showed that, even in relatively new circumstances of extreme heat—rather than the more normal issue of energy margin certificates being issued because of the effect of cold and winter on the system—the system stood up to it very well and managed...
I disagree with the noble Baroness. The recent episode showed that, even in relatively new circumstances of extreme heat—rather than the more normal issue of energy margin certificates being issued because of the effect of cold and winter on the system—the system stood up to it very well and managed...