Abstract :
Will the lights stay on in England and Wales this winter? National Grid Transco (NGT) expects so, but says the safety margin between generating capacity and projected demand is too small for comfort. In a report to the energy regulator, Ofgem, the company calls for new measures to make sure that gas-fired power stations get priority supplies if a gas shortage coincides with peak electricity demand. The author discusses whether the measures will be enough to avoid shortages.