Probe into whether Red Ed's obsession with Net Zero made power chiefs mislead MPs over how close we are to blackout
By GABRIEL MILLARD-CLOTHIER, POLITICAL REPORTER and NICHOLAS PYKE
Published: | Updated:
Bosses in charge of Britain's creaking electricity grid are the subject of an independent investigation amid claims they have misled Parliament and the markets, and wasted millions of pounds in pursuit of Ed Miliband's Net Zero targets.
The inquiry, conducted by the Deloitte consultancy, centres on explosive allegations that the National Energy System Operator (NESO) has tried to cover up the struggle to keep the country's lights on amid the chaotic rollout of renewable energy supplies such as wind power.
Concern is mounting about the security of the grid, with whistleblowers and independent experts warning of a risk of blackouts this winter thanks to Labour's dash to replace fossil fuels with wind and solar power – spearheaded by Mr Miliband when he was Energy Secretary.
Last night NESO admitted that Deloitte had been brought in to review 'procurement policies and procedures' at the state-owned operator.
Insiders say the role of NESO's £1million-a-year chief executive Fintan Slye is under particular scrutiny, with one senior source telling The Mail on Sunday that Mr Slye is 'hanging on by a thread'.
Insiders at NESO – which ensures the network has sufficient power at all times – say switching from old-fashioned power stations to thousands of new wind farms, solar panels and battery storage units has left engineers 'flying blind' and unable to make accurate forecasts of supply and demand.
They also say NESO executives have been handed a 42-page dossier by a former staff member alleging a series of key failings.
The problems burst into the open on June 23 when, in the middle of the heatwave, the grid ran dangerously short of power and required emergency imports of electricity from abroad.
Insiders say the role of NESO's £1million-a-year chief executive Fintan Slye is under particular scrutiny, with one senior source telling The Mail on Sunday that Mr Slye is 'hanging on by a thread'
An inquiry centres on allegations that the National Energy System Operator (NESO) has tried to cover up the struggle to keep the country's lights on amid the chaotic rollout of renewable energy supplies such as wind power
A report into the incident by the Eversheds Sutherland legal firm identified 'high levels of operational stress' at NESO's headquarters in Wokingham, Berkshire, and a 'significant disconnect' between senior executives and control room engineers who keep the system running.
Last night one whistleblower said NESO was descending into 'civil war' between executives and control-room engineers who fear safety is at risk.
In addition to the Eversheds probe, board members are understood to have scheduled a two-day visit to the grid's control room this month without executives present.
Unions have already written to Mr Slye and the board about management behaviour and staff fears of repercussions for speaking up. According to one insider, whistleblowers have been told they could be jailed for speaking out.
NESO engineers claim they have recently spotted Mr Slye in the control room 'asking engineers how it all works'.
A meeting has been scheduled this week to discuss the pay and £400,000 bonus of Mr Slye, who last month assured MPs the electricity system was secure and that he was 'the right man' for the job.
'High levels of concern'
JUNE 23
With air-conditioning units on full blast, the grid runs short of power and is forced to import electricity from abroad.
JULY 7
Tory MP Claire Coutinho reveals whistleblower claims that NESO breached legal safety limits and
the UK came close to blackout.
JULY 13
NESO orders inquiries by
regulator Ogfem and Eversheds Sutherland solicitors.
OCTOBER 19
Eversheds does not substantiate claims NESO altered official records but finds 'high levels of stress and concern' in the control room.
OCTOBER 28
CEO Fintan Slye tells MPs he is
the 'right man' for the job, and is happy to take his bonus.
The turmoil comes amid deepening concern about the cost to the taxpayer of so-called 'wasted wind'. Consumers paid a record £505million surcharge in September alone to switch off wind
farms – because they were generating too much power for the ageing infrastructure – and then to buy replacement electricity from gas-fired power stations.
NESO has already admitted that the cost of disconnecting wind turbines will reach £9billion by 2029, adding up to £100 per household to domestic energy bills.
Aside from the cost, the rapid transition to unpredictable renewable power means the grid is also breaching operational limits on a regular basis, with too much or too little power in the system, according to one NESO insider.
NESO said the system had remained within safe limits at all times, adding: 'There have been no breaches of statutory frequency limits which are regulated by – and would be reported to – Ofgem.'
It added: 'Deloitte was engaged by NESO management to review and recommend opportunities to strengthen our procurement policies and procedures.'
READ MORE: ROSS CLARK: Must we really wait for the chaos of a national blackout before accepting how dangerous this pursuit of Net Zero is?
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