Government 'Admits Prospect Of Blackouts'

Information uncovered by the opposition reveals that the Government is expecting power cuts across Britain by 2017.

For the first time since the 1970s consumers will be told to prepare for blackouts because the supply of electricity will fail to meet demand at peak times, according to new government figures.

Conservative Shadow Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Greg Clark blamed the Government for putting "its head in the sand about Britain’s energy policy for a decade".


Over the next few years many power stations will come to the end of their lives or will be required to close by EU law, but the Government has failed to ensure that replacements are available in time.

As a result, by 2017 the Government has pencilled in power cuts expected to be around 3000 megawatt hours per year - this is the equivalent of the whole Nottingham urban area being without electricity for a day.

Mr Clark added that the next government "has an urgent task to accelerate the deployment of a new generating capacity, and to take steps to ensure, that as a matter of national security, there is enough capacity to provide a robust margin of safety".

(CD/BMcC)