The United Kingdom’s Energy Secretary has commissioned the independent National Energy System Operator to urgently investigate the power outage that affected Heathrow Airport and the surrounding area.
Working with Ofgem, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband is using Energy Act powers to launch the investigation. The move follows yesterday’s action to restore power to all affected customers.
NESO’s investigation will support efforts to build a clear picture of the circumstances surrounding this incident and the UK’s energy resilience more broadly to prevent it from happening again.
The government’s Plan for Change is rebuilding Britain’s resilience, including boosting the country’s energy security with homegrown power. Separately, the resilience review led by the Cabinet Office is ongoing and is due to conclude in the Spring.
“The loss of power to the Heathrow area has caused major disruption to thousands of people and many businesses,” Miliband said in a statement. “We are determined to properly understand what happened and what lessons need to be learned.
“That is why working with Ofgem, I have today commissioned the National Energy System Operator to carry out an investigation into this specific incident and to understand any wider lessons to be learned on energy resilience for critical national infrastructure, both now and in the future,” Miliband added.
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