Stark warning that 'people die' as Labour's Net Zero issue revealed

Stark warning that 'people die' as Labour's Net Zero issue revealed A whistleblower has said that there will be blackouts as a result of Labour's net zero plans, while the Shadow Energy Secretary warned 'people die'. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments By Brian Dillon , Audience Writer 08:36, Sat, Jul 25, 2026 Updated: 08:37, Sat, Jul 25, 2026 A stark warning has been issued over blackouts and soaring costs in the future (Image: Getty) A whistleblower has issued a stark warning over Britain's Net Zero ambitions , warning of blackouts and soaring energy bills for UK households. It comes as a report produced by energy consultancy Cornwall Insight for the National Energy System Operator (Neso) and obtained by The Times said that the government-owned organisation is not able to accurately model Britain's complex electricity network. It warned that there is an increased risk of blackouts as more renewable energy is linked up to the grid . A control room whistleblower said that operators were "flying blind, every minute of every day". They told The Times that Britain is risking a "total blackout", while internal Neso documents show the electricity grid breached five operational safety constraints on June 23, compromising the system's security. It is suggested in the report that the issue was caused by forecasting failures. The incident is now under investigation by energy regulator Ofgem . Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Get the day's biggest headlines in UK and World news and more Subscribe Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy 'Major incident' declared as huge Cairngorms National Park wildfire rages towards homes Huyton crash: 4 men in their 20s die in incident sparking 11 road closures Cornwall Insight said that uncertainty in electricity supply forecasting could reach 7.7 gigawatts by 2030. It also warned that Neso would be led to buy electricity at short notice through its balancing mechanism due to inaccurate modelling, which would drive up household energy bills . It also revealed that operators have been left with "reduced visibility" over electricity flowing through the grid thanks to the rapid expansion of wind farms, solar panels, battery storage and smaller renewable generators. The whistleblower warned: "The execs are too scared politically to say renewables are making the system unsafe. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT "It will get worse week by week because we are connecting more things that we cannot model." Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Meanwhile, Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho was approached by whistleblowers and warned that "during blackouts, people die". She said: "Electricity grid operators have one of the most important jobs in the country. If they don't balance supply and demand, we will have blackouts, and in blackouts, people die." Oxford economist Professor Dieter Helm said that the grid was "bound to be much more unstable" during intermittent wind and solar generation. A Neso spokesman said that work is already underway to implement recommendations made in the report. He said that Britain has “one of the most reliable electricity systems in the world”, and that the Cornwall Insight report is an assessment of what could happen in the 2030s if the issues are not addressed. He confirmed that the report's findings have been shared with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ofgem and a Neso board committee. A Government spokesman said: "Neso is responsible for planning and delivering the energy system now, and into the future. As part of that, it plans for emerging challenges to ensure Britain continues to benefit from a secure energy system. "We are very confident in our security of supply arrangements, and that Neso have the tools they need to manage the system." Energy Energy bills Renewable energy Labour Party Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments