The Institution of Engineering and Technology called on government to set up a “systems architect” to make sure the grid stays stable while gearing up for disruptive new technology.
In a report, the professional body said decarbonisation is “the biggest peace-time change to national infrastructure that GB will have seen” and a joined-up approach is “vital”.
Simon Harrison, chair of the Power Networks Joint Vision Committee at the IET, explained: “What we have now is a system that has operated in a quasi-steady state since the 1930s…
“We are moving into a new place and there is quite a lot of uncertainty as to what that new place might look like. You can place a reasonable bet that there is going to be a lot more new distributed generation and there is going to be a lot more active demand.”
The Department of Energy and Climate Change and regulator Ofgem do not have the technical resources for the task, he added.
Sir John Parker, president of the Royal Academy of Engineering, endorsed the report. He said: “We need to balance security of supply with affordability and reducing emissions. It is a difficult balance that requires a holistic overview of the entire energy system to take account of new technologies and renewables and a systems approach to a solution.
“This is a priority for the country – the Academy’s own analysis estimates that the capacity margin of the GB electricity system could continue to fall over the next five years as old generating plants close, presenting an increasing risk of power cuts.”