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Britain will have enough energy supply this winter, grid operator says
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 17, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Quick Summary
The UK's grid operator forecasts sufficient energy supply this winter, with increased battery storage and renewable energy boosting capacity.
UK's National Electricity System Operator Confirms Winter Energy Sufficiency
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain's National Electricity System Operator said on Wednesday it expects to have sufficient supplies this winter, giving an early outlook of the supply and demand balance for the season.
The growth in battery storage capacity on the electricity network systems, more available gas-fired power generation, more renewable energy and the commissioning of the Greenlink electricity interconnector between Ireland and Wales have increased the amount of power available.
"Our early view of the winter ahead shows a positive outlook with sufficient margins throughout the colder winter months," said Deborah Petterson, NESO's director of resilience and emergency management.
The NESO expects a de-rated margin, which is a measure of the amount of excess capacity expected above peak electricity demand, at 6.6 gigawatts (GW). That is the highest forecast margin since the 2019/20 winter period and is over 1 GW higher than last year’s winter outlook figure of 5.2 GW.
This assumes total electricity demand of 60.5 GW.
There could be some days when supply is tight, likely to occur in early December or mid-January, but NESO said it has tools in place such as market notices for backup generation to be made available.
The full winter outlook will be published in October.
(Reporting by Nina Chestney; editing by Mark Heinrich)
Key Takeaways
- •The UK expects sufficient energy supply this winter.
- •Battery storage and renewable energy have increased.
- •The Greenlink interconnector boosts power availability.
- •NESO forecasts a 6.6 GW de-rated margin.
- •Some tight supply days may occur in December or January.
Frequently Asked Questions about Britain will have enough energy supply this winter, grid operator says
1What does the NESO predict for Britain's energy supply this winter?
The NESO expects sufficient energy supplies this winter, indicating a positive outlook with enough margins throughout the colder months.
2What is the expected de-rated margin for electricity supply?
The NESO forecasts a de-rated margin of 6.6 gigawatts (GW), the highest since 2019.
3When might there be tight energy supply days?
There could be tight supply days in early December or mid-January, but NESO has backup generation tools in place.
4When will the full winter outlook be published?
The full winter outlook is expected to be published in October.
5What factors are contributing to the positive energy outlook?
Factors include growth in battery storage capacity, more available gas-fired power generation, and increased renewable energy.
