Energy system runs on ‘coal-age data’

Britain's power system is running on data infrastructure built for the age of coal, according to a group of industry leaders.

In an open letter, they warn that the data needed to run a modern, flexible and decentralised energy system has not kept pace with investment in the sector.

“Network operators, generators, suppliers and service providers each hold their own piece of the picture, with too much data locked behind private systems or published in unusable formats,” said the letter signed by organisations including Ember and Regen.

It said the Government and Ofgem's Energy Digitalisation Framework sets a welcome direction for coordination but urges more action.

“We believe Britain needs a new approach to energy data: one that treats priority datasets as essential infrastructure, makes data with public value open and accessible, and ensures it is usable in practice,” it said.