October 2026 on the GB grid
In October 2026 we tracked 306 grid stories from 164 publishers.
- Stories
- 306from 164 publishers
- Top topic
- Outages & Resilience96 stories
- Top organisation
- NESO46 mentions
- Big projects
- 13milestones this month
By category
Most covered
- Hundreds of homes without power due to Storm Boelo21 outlets · first reported by BBC on 24 Oct
- ‘Concerning issues’ found at GB power grid by inquiry into cover-up claims11 outlets · first reported by The Guardian on 19 Oct
- Data centre builders could face new demands for priority grid access10 outlets · first reported by City AM on 27 Oct
- TOWY VALLEY: Ministers want new power lines buried by default. So what happens to the 22-metre poles?6 outlets · first reported by Swansea Bay News on 23 Oct
- National Grid warns Storm Austen could disrupt power in South West6 outlets · first reported by Midweek Herald on 22 Oct
- Electricity grid companies commit to ambitious skills, jobs and economic growth targets6 outlets · first reported by New Civil Engineer on 20 Oct
- Major undersea power cable given green light5 outlets · first reported by GOV.UK on 30 Oct
- UK opens GBP-3.5bn Hornsea 3 transmission link tender5 outlets · first reported by Renewables Now on 21 Oct
Big projects 13
Regulation and policy 59
- Ofgem proposes keeping network pension allowances broadly level as eleven schemes report surplusesNews Anyway · Regulation & Price Controls
- TNUoS Tariffs Five-Year View for 2027/28– 2031/32 WebinarNational Energy System Operator (NESO) · Regulation & Price Controls
- Healey to block offshore wind projects without lower billsUA.NEWS · Policy & Government
- Up to 30GW of generation could be eligible to bid in one-off Wholesale CfD auctionUtility Week · Policy & Government
- Notice of our provisional revised pension allowance values and 2026 reasonableness reviewOfgem · Regulation & Price Controls
- Do the AR7 results mark the end of growing pains in the UK's utility-scale renewables market?Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment · Policy & Government
- SHET’s Insulation and Interruption Gas Exceptional Event claim at Blackhillock (RIIO-ET3)Ofgem · Regulation & Price Controls
- Budget sets five tests for data centre grid priority as UK chases 6GW by 2030Capacity Media · Policy & Government
- Is clean power by 2030 dead? And does it matter?BusinessGreen · Policy & Government
- UK Autumn Budget 2026: Eight Key Energy AnnouncementsEnergy Digital Magazine · Policy & Government
- Government Announces Great British Grid to Support Network UpgradesDM News · Policy & Government
- Wales plans to ban steel pylons in favour of burying power cables to protect landscapes and wildlifeyourweather.co.uk | Meteored · Policy & Government
- UK budget: Grid connection incentives for data centers under new “covenant”Data Center Dynamics · Policy & Government
- UK weighs data centre covenant tied to priority grid accessResultsense · Policy & Government
- UK Links Data Center Grid Access to Jobs, Local InvestmentBloomberg.com · Policy & Government
- Healey announces ‘data centre covenant’ encouraging developers to invest locally in exchange for accelerated grid connectionsPlanning Resource · Policy & Government
- UK launches data centre covenant in 2026 Budget with jobs and water protection rulesThe Herald · Policy & Government
- UK's Healey offers faster grid access for key data centres in AI pushLondon South East · Policy & Government
- Autumn Budget 2026: Funding to create more grid connectionsBusiness Motoring · Policy & Government
- Data centre builders could face new demands for priority grid accessCity AM · Policy & Government
- Is UK energy policy entering a new era under Burnham?Financial Times · Policy & Government
- Cheaper Power, Stronger BritainTony Blair Institute for Global Change · Policy & Government
- Choose cheap energy supply over net zero at Budget, Blair tells HealeyThe Independent · Policy & Government
- Tony Blair Institute calls for re-opening of zonal pricing debateBusinessGreen · Policy & Government
- Ofgem must investigate whether UK’s electricity grid is safe — or notThe Times · Regulation & Price Controls
- Pylon pressure on farmland to ease under proposed cable plansFarmers Weekly · Policy & Government
- Wales plans to ban steel pylons as government launches consultationBBC · Policy & Government
- Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP): timeline extensionGOV.UK (DESNZ) · Policy & Government
- Strategic Spatial Energy Plan: deadline extensionGOV.UK (DESNZ) · Policy & Government
- Citizens Advice: Ofgem unclear on good price control outcome for networksUtility Week · Regulation & Price Controls
- UK power system ‘secure’ this winter – NESOreNEWS · Policy & Government
- TOWY VALLEY: Ministers want new power lines buried by default. So what happens to the 22-metre poles?Swansea Bay News · Policy & Government
- Welsh Government consults on ending steel pylons for new power linesWrexham.com · Policy & Government
- Labour says burying new power lines in Wales can cost five times as much. Reform and the Tories back itSwansea Bay News · Policy & Government
- Energy outlook for winter looks positiveEnergy Live News · Policy & Government
- Winter blackout risk rises for first time since 2022The Telegraph · Policy & Government
- UK Rules Out Winter Energy Shortages as Gas Prices SoarCrude Oil Prices Today | OilPrice.com · Policy & Government
- Consultation launched on plans to put new power lines underground in WalesNation.Cymru · Policy & Government
- Electricity distribution price control (RIIO-ED3) publicationsOfgem · Regulation & Price Controls
- Swinney urged to publish energy strategy after ‘ludicrous’ 1,380-day waitBelfast Telegraph · Policy & Government
- Next UK offshore wind auction delayed by appealsMaritime Journal · Policy & Government
- Electricity Networks Sector Growth Plan reveals job creationTransport + Energy · Policy & Government
- Ofgem’s Neso heatwave review: electricity security lessons for UK grid engineersGeomechanics.io · Policy & Government
- CMA rejects RWE claim of Ofgem bias in code mod decisionUtility Week · Regulation & Price Controls
- Ofgem to investigate electricity system performance during heatwaveEnergy Live News · Policy & Government
- Independent investigation finds no evidence of NESO misconductSolar Power Portal · Policy & Government
- NESO admits constraints breached and large forecast errors in interim grid security reportWatt-Logic · Policy & Government
- Investigation finds failings at grid operator Neso, but no blackout cover-upEngineering and Technology Magazine · Policy & Government
- 'No evidence to substantiate' allegations made against Neso, but questions remain about electricity security, says OfgemNew Civil Engineer · Policy & Government
- Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm Ltd and others v Gas and Electricity Markets AuthorityBlackstone Chambers · Regulation & Price Controls
- Amy Rogers KC and Jonathan Worboys successful in CMA electricity charging appeal11KBW · Regulation & Price Controls
- NESO technical report on system operation during extreme heat: commentEnergy & Climate Intelligence Unit | ECIU · Policy & Government
- Ofgem inquiry into electricity system operation during extreme heat in June 2026Ofgem · Regulation & Price Controls
- Update on the Independent Eversheds investigation and Ofgem’s technical review of energy system operations during extreme heatOfgem · Regulation & Price Controls
- NESO raises electricity network cost forecast by £400mEnergy Live News · Policy & Government
- High-capacity, low-utilisation standing charges: minded-to positionOfgem · Regulation & Price Controls
- UK energy policy decoupled from Clean Power 2030 as affordability and politics take precedenceSolar Power Portal · Policy & Government
- SSEN Transmission looks to recoup costs from unplanned workforce boomUtility Week · Regulation & Price Controls
- New towns ‘threatened’ by supply of water and energy, peers warnUtility Week · Policy & Government
Topics
Outages & Resilience96Security of Supply35Offshore Wind & Transmission Build32Planning for Lines & Substations24Connections Reform23DSO & Flexibility7Strategic & Regional Planning7RIIO Price Controls6CfD & Capacity Market6Network Charging5Clean Power 20303Great British Energy3Battery Storage2Long-Duration Storage2ICP & IDNO Competition2
Week by week
- Week 42: 12–18 October 202618 stories this month
- Week 43: 19–25 October 2026167 stories this month
- Week 44: 26 October – 1 November 2026120 stories this month
Every headline is listed in the weekly round-ups.