Electricity networks - handling a shock to the system (technical statement)

Britain’s electricity sector is grappling with the triple challenge of decarbonisation, maintaining security of supply, and affordability to customers. Much has been written on this subject, but little on the impacts of this on the electricity networks that connect generators to end users. However changes such as solar photovoltaic (PV) farms and large scale adoption of domestic solar PV energy, electric/hybrid vehicles, replacement or supplementing of gas fired heating by electric heat pumps, community energy schemes, and the introduction of large scale wind generation have potentially profound impacts on networks and on the electricity system as a whole.

The IET has undertaken a scoping assessment and has compiled a Position Statement and this report, drawing on technically informed senior practitioners to describe the challenges, the severe consequences we foresee if action is not taken, and makes recommendations for a way forward to allow timely development and implementation of solutions.