Europe Goes on Blackout Watch as Winter Descends

via WST

Europe’s energy-squeezed winter has sent power operators and businesses into high alert for blackout risks, heightened by Russia’s war in Ukraine.

In a control room in Glasgow, dozens of engineers and supervisors for months have been executing a series of “desktop rehearsals,” in which they game out the many various ways a blackout could unfold.

Winter is always dicey in Northern Europe, said Guy Jefferson, operations chief for ScottishPower’s SP Energy Networks in Scotland, North Wales and England, but this year’s preparations go beyond bracing for the season’s severe storms. They are developing plans not only for uncontrolled blackouts, but also the increased risk of scheduled disconnections, or brownouts, which could be ordered by the U.K.’s National Grid to balance supply and prevent more-chaotic outages.

“Prepare for the worst, hope for the best,” Mr. Jefferson said.

By NC ScoutPublished On: December 31, 2022Categories: UncategorizedComments Off

About the Author: NC Scout

NC Scout is the nom de guerre of a former Infantry Scout and Sergeant in one of the Army’s best Reconnaissance Units. He has combat tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He teaches a series of courses focusing on small unit skills rarely if ever taught anywhere else in the prepping and survival field, including his RTO Course which focuses on small unit communications. In his free time he is an avid hunter, bushcrafter, writer, long range shooter, prepper, amateur radio operator and Libertarian activist. He can be contacted at [email protected] or via his blog at brushbeater.wordpress.com .