As a result of Claire Coutinho, the shadow energy secretary, receiving information on electricity grid security from whistleblowers, the National Energy System Operator (Neso) has hired an external law firm to investigate.

The allegations are that the perilous state of the grid has been hidden by using documents that were not disclosable under the Freedom of Information rules, and in particular, this obstruction was used in June to hide an “emergency instruction”, cutting supply to the Netherlands and seeking help from France to keep the grid within safe operating limits.

Coutinho, in an item in The Telegraph, said: ‘The allegations made to me are threefold. First, on June 23, Neso failed to meet standards on constraints and reserves put in place to prevent blackouts. Second, the corporate affairs team interfered with operational decisions, prioritising Neso’s reputation over security of supply. And third, operational decisions are being kept in “live documents” with no audit trail, therefore preventing them from being accessed for Freedom of Information requests. This is all in the context that their job is becoming impossible.’

If the grid did fail, as it did in last year’s Iberian blackout, the consequences could be significant, as they were then. At the moment these are allegations, but supposing them to be true, it would beg the question of what needs to be done.

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