May 19, 2026

Faster digitalisation of electricity system urgently needed

We’re getting better at producing low-carbon electricity, but engineers claim in a new report that more digitalisation is needed for a truly green electricity sector, and that it will also mean benefits for consumers including using energy when it’s abundant and reducing demand when it’s expensive.

The report, from the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng), argues that faster and better adoption of digital technology is key to lowering bills and absorbing excess power into things like batteries.

The GB electricity system increasingly struggles when wind generation exceeds demand and the electricity created can’t be moved to where demand exists. When this happens, wind farms are paid to reduce output.  At the same time, gas-fired power stations can be paid to meet demand elsewhere, particularly in highly populated areas like the south of England.  As the report points out, this is inefficient as clean energy is wasted while fossil fuels are burned.

The report argues that we need a higher uptake of smart meters in homes, currently at only 70%.  It also calls for faster digitalisation and an effective coordination function, with senior strategic oversight within government.  Without clear ownership and robust project management, the authors say, we risk being left with a dysfunctional and costly energy system. The result is duplication, technical incompatibility, cybersecurity risks and rising costs.

Journalists came to this briefing to hear from three of the report’s authors and hear what they say we need for a fully functioning, joined up clean electricity system in Britain.

Speakers included:

Prof Sir Jim McDonald FREng (Chair of working group), Co-Chair of the Scottish Energy Advisory Board and Former President of the Royal Academy of Engineering 

Professor Nilay Shah FREng, Professor of Process Systems Engineering, Imperial College London 

Dr David Wright FREng, Chair and Non-Executive Director of the Energy Research Partnership and Former Chief Engineer at National Grid