Summer Outlook

​There is sufficient capacity and operational tools to maintain security of supply over for the summer period, National Grid ESO has said, with low demand to remain challenging.

​Demand is forecast to continue to be low this summer, although some resurgence is expected in comparison to levels seen in 2020.

​Summer demand could fall by up to 20% due to the effects of COVID-19, according to National Grid ESO.

National Grid expects minimum summer transmission system demand in 2019 to fall broadly in line with last year’s, owing to a collapse in new solar deployment.

Octopus, the UK’s largest onshore renewables investor and owner of more than 1GW of utility-scale solar in the UK, has said that National Grid’s warnings of ‘summer low’ demand challenges are ringing true as the country continues to bask in a heatwave.

Transmission system demand is forecast to dip to new lows this summer, but National Grid has once again insisted it has the tools necessary to manage.