Electrical system resilience:a forensic analysis of the blackout in Lancaster, UK

Kemp, Roger (2017) Electrical system resilience:a forensic analysis of the blackout in Lancaster, UK. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Forensic Engineering, 170 (2). pp. 100-109. ISSN 2043-9903

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Abstract

Great Britain’s electricity network is undergoing a major transformation as it moves from a system based on burning fossil fuels in central power stations to one dominated by distributed renewable energy; this brings with it a new set of risks. In parallel, the move to electronic documentation and communication is increasing the dependence of society on an ‘always-on’ electricity supply. Assessing the level of dependence is difficult, as full-scale experimentation is not practicable and a desktop analysis of situations involving a large number of human interactions is unlikely to be representative. In December 2015, Storm Desmond resulted in a blackout affecting more than 100 000 people in Lancaster, UK. This provided a unique case study that allowed researchers to investigate how society responds to a widespread loss of the electricity supply.