U.K. energy minister 'fully behind' national grid construction
The U.K.'s energy minister Michael Fallon is "fully behind" plans to pay businesses that cut their energy usage in times of shortage.
Following a warning from energy regulator Ofgem that the U.K. may be at the risk of power cuts due to infrastructure that can't cope with increasing demand, electricity network owner National Grid has suggested that large corporations be asked to lower use between 16:00 and 20:00 on weekdays in winter.
To entice businesses to accept the voluntary terms, payment will be issued in return for lower electricity demands. The measures are touted as a way to prevent power failures when temperature plunges and the demand for heating rises.
In addition, Ofgem has suggested that some power plants should be in reserve for emergency use.
Despite the energy regulator's concerns, the U.K. government has promised that "the lights won't go out."
In a statement, Ofgem said Fallon "is fully behind Ofgem and National Grid's consultations which are about whether they should take the prudent step of extending their existing services in the context of possible tightening in the supply margin in the middle of the decade."
Read More: BBC
Image credit: Flickr
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This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com