National Grid confirms winter electricity supplies secure

National Grid has said that its new balancing services will help to ensure that electricity demand this winter remains “manageable”.
The system operator published its Winter Review and Consultation Report on 15 July. The report launches an industry consultation on National Grid’s view of gas and electricity supplies for the coming winter.
In order to help manage the possibility of lower capacity margins through to 2016, National Grid last year acquired the permission of energy regulator Ofgem to introduce two new balancing services: the Demand-Side Balancing Reserve (DSBR) and Supplemental Balancing Reserve (SBR).
The report said that, going into winter 2015-16, the electricity capacity margin could, without these balancing services, have fallen as low as 1.2%. But through the procurement of 2.56 GW of additional electricity reserve through the SBR and DSBR, the de-rated margin is instead expected to stand at 5.1%.
Owing to concerns that power margins could remain low through to 2018, National Grid is currently consulting on extending its ability to use the two balancing services by two years.