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Our response to coronavirus
Find out how we're working to keep the lights on in Great Britain throughout COVID-19.
ESO
Balancing Mechanism Wider Access
Please note: Given the challenges posed by COVID-19 we will be constantly reviewing our plans and several projects may be impacted. Click here to find out more.
As the Electricity System Operator (ESO), our vision is to meet the future needs of the electricity system by making the most of all resources available on the system in a flexible and economic way.
It is our job to operate Great Britain’s electricity network to ensure that supply and demand are balanced and power flows across the network safely and reliably. We are seeing a transformation in GB’s energy mix as we move towards a decarbonised energy system. With this change, we are facing new challenges in balancing the GB electricity system while also delivering value to energy consumers. To overcome these challenges, we need to maximise the resources we have available on the system today and in the future. Our service providers are key to helping us manage these challenges, which is why we want to better help them to help us balance the GB system in the most cost effective way. After listening to these providers, we want to widen access to the Balancing Mechanism (BM), Great Britain’s core flexibility market.
Entering the Balancing Mechanism
We have created a guidance document to support providers who wish to enter the Balancing Mechanism. It explains the different routes you can go through and the processes you will need follow.
Guidance and Supporting Documents
This section contains the guidance document for entering the Balancing Mechanism and several supporting documents.