Electricity System Operator

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Revenue Stacking for Flexibility: A Deep Dive into GB Electricity Flexibility Services 

    In the ever-evolving landscape of the energy sector, the role of flexibility services in ensuring a stable and resilient electricity grid has become increasingly vital. As the demand for renewable energy sources continues to grow, flexibility service providers play a crucial role in balancing supply and demand, optimising grid performance,...

  • Energy Market Design

    REMA: electricity market design choices

    Electricity markets will serve as the foundation for the future GB energy system.  This article examines some of the market design decisions that will be considered by the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA). Market design goals At its most simple, a well-functioning market will attract enough potential “buyers” and...

  • Business supply and services

    Re-balancing the balancing costs –BSUoS charges to be levied solely on suppliers from April 2023

    Balancing the electricity system costs money. National Grid in its role as Electricity System Operator (ESO) takes actions in every half hour to achieve the remarkable feat of keeping supply and demand finely balanced on our national electricity system – maintaining a system which runs between 49.8 and 50.2Hz with...

  • Power and gas networks

    New Fault Ride Through compliance arrangements introduced for transmission-connected generators

    Ofgem approved Workgroup Alternative Grid Code Modification 1 (WAGCM1) of GC0151 Grid Code Compliance with Fault Ride Through (FRT) Requirements on 5 November. In short, this decision introduces a new, legal process, into the Grid Code – the legal text that governs those connecting to the electricity transmission system -...

  • Announcement

    What’s changed? Celebrating 750 issues of Energy spectrum

    Today marks 750 editions of Energy Spectrum, our flagship publication which covers news and insight on the energy market. To celebrate, we present six Energy Perspectives from past publications, going as far back as 2005, which we believe still have relevance today.  Issue 4 – ‘Smart metering’ - Energy policy’s missing...

  • Regulation and policy

    Ofgem “hands-on” in RIIO-2 as net zero route unfolds

    During the next round of the RIIO price controls, Ofgem can be expected to take a more hands-on approach to outputs the networks are required to provide and the allowed revenues they can charge their users or consumers. This will have impacts for network development including the enabling of electric...

  • Regulation and policy

    BSUoS task force report sets scene for Targeted Charging Review decision

    The Electricity System Operator (ESO) led task force issued its final report on 31 May, recommending that all the costs in balancing services use of system (BSUoS) charges should be treated solely as cost recovery. The report will feed into Ofgem’s decision on the Targeted Charging Review (TCR) Significant Code...

  • Regulation and policy

    Getting to grips with the future balancing market

    Modification P344 Project TERRE Implementation into GB Market Arrangements was implemented into the BSC on 28 February, having been approved in August 2018. The change will introduce the Trans-European Replacement Reserves Exchange (TERRE) products to the GB market while simultaneously widening the range of parties that can participate in the...

  • Low carbon generation

    Paradise Lost: The changing face of Embedded Benefits

    Current electricity market arrangements give rise to the concept of “embedded benefits”. These are predominantly supplier costs that are reduced or avoided via contracting with small-scale generation connected at the distribution network level instead of the national transmission system. Distributed generation does not generally attract charges for using the national...