Bedfordshire councils are updating their resilience and emergency plans to make sure residents are supported if ‘unlikely’ three-hour blackouts take place this winter.
CEO of National Grid John Pettigrew has said that if electricity generators did not have enough gas to meet demand, blackouts would have to be imposed in the “deepest darkest evenings” in January and February.
According to reports, the outages would take place either in the morning or between 4pm and 9pm, with the BBC preparing secret scripts that could be read on air if energy shortages cause blackouts or the loss of gas supplies this winter.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked Bedfordshire’s three councils if they are putting plans together just in case these “unlikely” energy shortages happen, and how their services will be maintained.
A spokesperson for Luton Borough Council said: “It is important to understand that energy blackouts remain highly unlikely and are very much a worst-case scenario.
“At a local level, the council works with its partners such as the police, fire and health services to plan for a range of emergency situations.
“This planning is crucial to improve partnership working to support our communities which proved so effective during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Central Bedfordshire Council’s spokesperson also said that energy blackouts remain highly unlikely.
They added: “The UK has a secure and diverse energy system and the Government is working with National Grid to strengthen this further.
“At a local level, the council works with its partners such as the police, fire and health services to plan for a range of emergency situations.
“This planning is crucial to improve partnership working to support our communities which proved so effective during the covid pandemic.“
A Bedford Borough Council spokesperson said: “Bedford Borough Council, in partnership with local agencies, regularly updates resilience and emergency plans and delivers training exercises for many possible scenarios to ensure communities are supported.”
by John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
