Blog
What a Solar Eclipse Does to a Power System
10 August 2026
On Wednesday 12 August the Moon will cover up to 95% of the Sun over Britain, during the evening peak. NESO expects to lose 0.7–1.3 GW of solar at maximum. Here's why an eclipse is a genuinely unusual operational problem, how system operators prepare for it, and what to watch on the dashboard.
Electricity Margin Notices, Explained
10 July 2026
When NESO issues an Electricity Margin Notice, headlines talk about blackout risk. Operators see something different: a routine, well-rehearsed market signal. Here's what an EMN actually is, what triggers it, and how to watch the margin yourself.
The UK Electricity Market Explained
10 March 2026
How does electricity get from power stations to your home? A practical guide to the GB wholesale electricity market, the Balancing Mechanism, and how real-time data flows through the system.
Net Zero Grid Challenges: What Clean Power 2030 Means for GB
10 March 2026
The UK government is targeting clean power by 2030. But running a grid on 95%+ clean generation creates unprecedented challenges for stability, inertia, and reliability. Here's what needs to change.
Battery Storage and Grid Balancing in Great Britain
10 March 2026
Grid-scale batteries are transforming how Great Britain balances electricity supply and demand. From Dynamic Containment to synthetic inertia, BESS is becoming a cornerstone of grid stability.
What is Grid Inertia and Why Does It Matter?
09 March 2026
Grid inertia is the invisible force keeping the lights on. As the GB power system adds more renewables, understanding inertia becomes critical for grid stability.
How Wind Power Affects GB Grid Stability
05 March 2026
Wind generation regularly exceeds 50% of GB demand. What does this mean for frequency stability and system inertia?
Understanding RoCoF: A Practical Guide for Grid Stability
01 March 2026
Rate of Change of Frequency (RoCoF) is the key metric for assessing how vulnerable the GB grid is to sudden generation losses. Here's what it means and why it matters.
The Role of Interconnectors in GB Grid Stability
25 February 2026
GB's interconnectors to France, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands import and export gigawatts of power — but they also change grid inertia dynamics in ways that matter.
GB Grid Frequency Events Explained: What Happens When Things Go Wrong
20 February 2026
When the grid frequency deviates from 50 Hz, a cascade of automatic protections kicks in. Here's exactly what happens at each threshold and why it matters.