Skip to main navigation

Our response to coronavirus

Find out how we're working to keep the lights on in Great Britain throughout COVID-19.
Read more
Home
ESO
  • ESO
  • Group PLC
  • NG in the UK
  • NG in the US
  • About us
  • Careers
  • Investors
  • Data Portal
  • News
  • Contact us
  • Back
  • Who we are
    • Back
    • Home
    • Who we are
    • What we do
    • Our people
    • How we're organised
    • Meet the board
  • Electricity explained
    • Back
    • Home
    • Electricity explained
    • Monthly Insights
    • Zero carbon explained
    • Carbon intensity explained
    • Electric cars explained
    • Power cuts explained
  • Future of energy
    • Back
    • Home
    • Future of energy
    • Future Energy Scenarios (FES)
    • Innovation
      • Back
      • Future of energy
      • Innovation
      • Strategy
      • News and events
      • Get involved
    • Projects
      • Back
      • Future of energy
      • Projects
      • Early Competition Plan
      • Offshore Coordination Project
      • Distributed ReStart
  • Industry information
    • Back
    • Home
    • Industry information
    • Connections
      • Back
      • Industry information
      • Connections
      • Our role in connections
      • The connections offer process
      • Your connections journey
      • Reports and registers
      • Use of System (UoS) and Virtual Lead Party (VLP)
      • Connections help and support
    • Balancing Services
      • Back
      • Industry information
      • Balancing Services
      • Frequency response services
      • Reserve services
      • System security services
      • Reactive power services
      • Trading
      • Settlements
      • Balancing Mechanism Wider Access
      • Get involved
    • Charging
      • Back
      • Industry information
      • Charging
      • Balancing Services Use of System (BSUoS) charges
      • Transmission Network Use of System (TNUoS) charges
      • Assistance for Areas with High Electricity Distribution Costs (AAHEDC)
      • Connection charges
      • Charging guidance
      • Charging policy developments
      • Charging statements
      • Submit a charging query
    • Codes Homepage
      • Back
      • Industry information
      • Codes Homepage
      • Connection and Use of System Code (CUSC)
      • Grid Code (GC)
      • System Operator Transmission Owner Code
      • Security and Quality of Supply Standard (SQSS)
      • Balancing Settlement Code (BSC)
      • European Network Codes (ENC)
      • Codes calendar
      • Code changes: Beginner's Guide
      • About the Codes Team
    • Industry Data and Reports
      • Back
      • Industry information
      • Industry Data and Reports
      • System Incidents Report
      • Balancing services performance monitoring report
      • Data finder and explorer
      • Forecast volumes and costs
      • GB Electricity System Operator Daily Reports
      • System balancing reports
      • Monthly transmission loss data (4l)
      • System constraints
      • Voltage costs
    • Keeping the lights on throughout coronavirus
    • Accelerated Loss of Mains applications
    • Our consultation responses
  • Our strategy
    • Back
    • Home
    • Our strategy
    • Forward Plan
      • Back
      • Our strategy
      • Forward Plan
      • How we're performing
    • Annual report and accounts
      • Back
      • Our strategy
      • Annual report and accounts
      • Annual report 2019/20
    • RIIO
      • Back
      • Our strategy
      • RIIO
      • RIIO-2 final business plan
      • Future planning 2021 onwards
      • Have your say on our future plan
      • RIIO-2 Stakeholder Group
  • Research & publications
    • Back
    • Home
    • Research & publications
    • Whole electricity system
    • Summer Outlook
    • Winter Outlook
    • ​Electricity Ten Year Statement (ETYS)
    • Network Options Assessment (NOA)
      • Back
      • Research & publications
      • Network Options Assessment (NOA)
      • Network Development Roadmap
    • System Operability Framework (SOF)
    • Future of balancing services
    • Transmission performance reports
    • Regional Development Programmes

Breadcrumb

  • Back to home

Information about the 9 August power cut and the ESO

On this page, you’ll find information relating to the power cut in Great Britain on 9 August 2019 and a link to materials to help you understand the energy system and role of the ESO.

Ofgem and E3C reports

Friday 3 January 2020: Industry regulator Ofgem and the Energy Emergencies Executive Committee (E3C) have published their reports into the power outages on Friday 9 August 2019.

Read Ofgem's report


Read E3C's report

Watch and read our response to the reports via the links below.




Read our media statement on the report

What is the ESO and what does it do?

Here you can find a range of materials to help you understand the energy system and role of the ESO.

View ESO materials

ESO final technical report

This is our final technical report into the power outages on Friday 9 August.

Download final technical report

Download appendices

 

ESO interim technical report

This is our interim technical report into the power outages on Friday 9 August.

Download interim technical report

We have made some minor updates to the ESO’s interim technical report submitted to Ofgem on 16 August to correct small typos and provide further clarity.

Page 5: removed reference to Ofgem’s letter in appendices. Deleted 3 references to “your” and “you think”.

Page 14: added text to explain what the “three speed signals” at Little Barford refers to “[it] resulted in the governor protection control system operating to shut down the steam turbine.”

Page 15: the data on secondary frequency holdings that was included in table 4 should have also been included in Table 3. This is now added in square brackets.

Pages 15 and 18: rounding error in table totals corrected - 1,023 should have read 1,022MW. 

 

Events timeline

Here is a timeline of the events of Friday 9 August 2019.

Infographic showing power cut sequence of events

Enlarge infographic

 

Media statements relating to the power cut

These are the media statements issued by National Grid ESO in response to the power cuts in Great Britain on 9 August 2019.

Publication of final technical report - 9 September

Ofgem investigation - 20 August

Submission of interim report to Ofgem - 16 August

Power Cut Statement on Frequency - 13 August

Power Cut Statement - 10 August, 7.30pm

Power Cut Statement - 10 August, 8.30am

Power Cut Statement - 9 August, 8pm

Power Cut Statement - 9 August, 6.30pm
 

Ofgem’s response to the incident

Here you can read Ofgem’s response to the power failure.

Read Ofgem's response

 

Energy Emergencies Executive Committee response to the incident

The Energy Emergencies Executive Committee (E3C) has been convened by the Secretary of State for BEIS. E3C is conducting a review of the incident – here is what they have said.

Visit GOV.UK website
 

The rules by which we're governed

The ESO is required, as part of its licence, to plan, develop and operate the National Electricity Transmission System (NETS) in accordance with the Security and Quality of Supply Standard (SQSS).

Find out more

Technical terms explained

On this page you can find a glossary of technical terms used in our industry.

View technical terms

National Grid ESO
© National Grid 2021

Connect with us

  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Youtube
  • Connect with us
    • Media centre
    • Work for us
  • About us
    • Compliance Statements
  • Privacy policy
    • Cookie policy
    • Terms and conditions
    • Security
    • Modern Slavery Statement
© National Grid 2021
Top