Power Engineering - DTI launches investigation into London power cuts

10 September 2003 - Stephen Timms, UK Energy Minister, announced today that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will launch an investigation into the power cuts that affected large areas of south London and parts of Kent on 28 August, and the West Midlands on 5 September.

Mr Timms said, "I am grateful to National Grid for the report that they have provided to me on the recent power cuts and the lessons to be learnt. However, I have decided in light of the report that further work needs to be done to look into the wider issues surrounding these power cuts.

"We need to understand whether improved communication between National Grid, the distribution companies and their customers could have reduced the disruption caused.

"Ofgem and DTI will jointly commission consultants to do some initial fact finding work. These findings will be made public. In addition I have asked the DTI Engineering Inspectorate to conduct a full and independent investigation into all the technical and operational issues taking account of National Grid power failures over the last five years to identify any trends."

Ofgem and DTI will commission engineering consultants very shortly to explore in detail a number of planning, operational and technical issues surrounding the power cuts. A report from consultants is expected to be completed in a number of weeks and the results will be made public.

The report will cover the power cuts affecting London on the 28th August and also the smaller scale power cut in the Midlands on the 5th September. The scope of both reports will include NGT's networks and those of the Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) involved in the interruptions, specifically EdF Energy, Aquila and Powergen.

Ofgem announced today they were investigating further the recent power cuts in London and parts of Kent on 28 August and in the Midlands on Friday 5 September.

Ofgem's continuing investigation, launched on the night of the London power cut, will examine whether NGC or the distribution companies concerned breached their legal obligations to develop and maintain secure electricity networks.

The DTI has launched a separate investigation, however, Ofgem and the DTI will be jointly commissioning engineering consultants to carry out investigative work in specific areas.

Ofgem's Chief Executive Callum McCarthy said "While we welcome the publication of NGC's report into the London Power cut today, there are still important issues Ofgem needs to investigate further to establish that NGC, and the distribution companies involved, met their legal duties."

By the end of September Ofgem will publish an initial assessment of the London and Midlands incidents based on NGC's and the distribution companies' first reports. By the end of the year, Ofgem expects to have completed its investigations, including its assessment of whether or not any of the companies concerned were in breach of the obligations in their operating licences.

The investigation will also inform the development of the regulatory framework, price controls and incentives on the companies involved, and will identify any lessons for communications between companies and with the public during major incidents.

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