James Ball looks at the UKs energy safety gap and finds we could face a supply crunch as soon as the winter of 2015
There is perhaps no greater nightmare for government and industry than the spectre of blackouts. In the 1970s, rolling power cuts caused by coal strikes led to the three-day working week and the eventual collapse of government. Since then, keeping the lights on has been a priority. But its a task thats getting ever harder, especially amid rising tensions between Europe and Russia, one of the continents main oil and gas suppliers.
The task is a daunting one: not only must the UKs energy suppliers avoid the country ending up as dependent as the European mainland on Russian gas, they must also navigate the challenges of climate change, consumer dissatisfaction at rising bills, and changing government policies on nuclear and other sources.