Featured Posts
New report: The true affordability of net zero
This evening my latest report: The true affordability of net zero, was launched at an event hosted by The [...]
Norway turning away from electricity interconnection
Norway is turning away from electricity interconnection as its governing coalition collapses over disagreements over energy co-operation with Europe. [...]
Time to accept that wind farm costs are not falling
There has been a consistent narrative that the cost of building new wind farms is falling, with falling subsidy [...]
Addressing the high real cost of renewable generation
Over the past few months we have been inundated with claims from interested parties that more renewables are the [...]
Recent Posts
Three Wise Men, Zero Inertia
With apologies to TS Eliot... A cold coming we had of it, Just the worst time of year For Dunkelflaute, and such a still one The cold deep, and the weather sharp The very dead of winter. And the [...]
How do we keep the lights on with 12 GW net firm capacity at risk of retirement by 2030? Speech to the Institution of Power Engineers, 13 November 2025
Good afternoon everyone. I’d like to say I’m delighted to speak today about the CCGT retirement risks we face, but that would be a lie, because while it’s always nice to be with Institution of Power Engineers, it’s far [...]
Location, location, location: managing voltage in weak grids
Warnings have emerged of the potential for further blackouts in Spain after Red Eléctrica de España (REE) reported steep voltage swings in recent weeks during periods of low demand, high solar output and slow response from generation. REE has [...]
Ghosts on the grid: why the phantom concept of vars risks our energy security
With the Feast of All Hallows rapidly approaching I thought it would be apt to explain how the grid is haunted by a concept that doesn’t really exist. A pre-occupation with a made-up concept risks the security of our [...]
AC vc DC: who would win a modern Battle of the Currents?
Recently, I was asked: what if Edison had won the Battle of the Currents? As power grids today are increasingly dominated by inverter-based generation, could a direct current (dc) grid be more effective than the alternating current (ac) grids [...]
ASPs for AR7 prove renewables are not cheap
Last week, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband announced the Administrative Strike Prices for the upcoming 7th auction round for the Contracts for Difference subsidy scheme. These represent the maximum prices he is willing to pay for each technology type. Or [...]
Nuclear regulation: pragmatism not paralysis
Britain’s civil nuclear programme stands at a critical juncture. With aging AGR reactors nearing the end of their lives and delays to new projects like Hinkley Point C, the UK faces a potential capacity crunch. Yet one of the [...]
Voltage, inertia and the Iberian blackout part 2: faulty PV inverter crashed the grid
The Iberian blackout demonstrated the importance of voltage control and reactive power, and how a weak grid, with poor controls, was brought down by a single faulty solar inverter. In this second part of my analysis of the Iberian [...]
Voltage, inertia and the Iberian blackout part 1: the theory
The Iberian blackout demonstrated the importance of voltage control and reactive power, but these concepts are poorly understood even by people within the electricity sector. In this two-part series of posts I will look at voltage, active power and [...]
North Hyde substation fire: report reveals poor maintenance culture
This week, the National Energy System Operator (“NESO”) published its final report into the North Hyde substation fire on 20 March that caused a local power outage which cut supplies to over 71,500 homes and businesses including nearby Heathrow Airport. [...]
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