Maintaining a secure electricity supply

As the system operator, our role is to make sure that power can flow from where it is generated to where it is needed. Where possible, we always try and ensure we use as much renewable electricity as possible.

To do this, our expert grid engineers balance the demand for electricity with the generation that is made available to us by the companies who produce it every second of the day. This is a complex balance.

As well as having enough generation to meet electricity demand, it is also important that grid has additional services to ensure it remains stable. Both of these components are needed to ensure homes, farms, businesses and public services have a safe, secure and reliable supply of electricity when they need it.

Electricity systems across the world are changing. As we work together to decarbonise our societies and economies, our energy systems are moving away from their reliance on fossil fuel forms to cleaner, more renewable sources.

The electricity grid is vital infrastructure in all energy systems. This means we have to change how we operate the grid so it can work with more renewable sources of electricity which can be variable and dependent on the weather.

This transition can pose some short-term challenges to maintaining a secure supply of electricity. It is important we make changes to how we operate the grid safely and securely.

Like anything else, electricity is a precious resource. We need to work together to ensure there is enough supply for everyone who needs it when they need it.

Our Shaping Our Electricity Future Roadmap sets out our plan to change how we operate the grid to support the use of more renewable energy. In the future, this will involve incorporating new technologies such as long duration batteries to store renewable electricity when we don't need it so it can be used when we do.

We publish the System Margins Outlook Report for Northern Ireland weekly. It gives information on:

Demand for electricity is typically higher in the winter months. Our annual Winter Outlook publication sets out expectations for Northern Ireland’s electricity supply and demand across the winter period.

The publication is based on detailed research and analysis by SONI’s engineers. It shows whether we expect there to be enough electricity supply to meet demand this winter in normal operating conditions.

Our team of expert engineers are always managing a degree of risk in operating the transmission system. We have tried and tested mitigation plans in place in the event any challenges arise.

Our plans include a mixture of outlook planning for demand, use of flexible technologies, emergency planning and developing the grid.

We are always working to maintain a resilient power system. It's important that we continue to plan for increased demand and unexpected events.

There are different levels of alerts that we may issue on the grid, as part of either controlling demand or emergency response.