Recent disruptions to electricity supply—from widespread outages in Spain to the Heathrow shutdown following a fire at the North Hyde substation—have highlighted the urgent need to strengthen resilience in our power systems.
In a new blog published by the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC), Professor Keith Bell (UKERC Co-Director and Co-Investigator on the Ensign Project) explores how these events offer valuable insights into the vulnerabilities of modern electricity networks. As the UK accelerates its transition to low-carbon energy, the resilience of the system becomes increasingly critical—not just in terms of infrastructure, but also in planning, communication, and operational agility.
Bell emphasizes that while low-carbon technologies like inverter-based resources are essential for decarbonization, they also introduce new challenges around system stability and inertia. He argues that resilience must be embedded in every aspect of system design and operation, from asset maintenance to contingency planning.
“Good engineering ensures that even a large, complex, dynamic system can work well—but we need to get the engineering right,” Bell writes.
The article is part of UKERC’s ongoing work to inform energy policy and practice, and ties closely to the objectives of the Ensign Project, which investigates how future electricity systems can be designed to be both low-carbon and resilient.
Read the full blog post: Ensuring resilience: Spain, Storms, North Hyde and What They Tell us About our Electricity Supply – Part 2
