The risk of power cuts in the UK remains a real concern, driven by a combination of factors. The events of 28 April 2025, when large areas of Spain, Portugal and France experienced prolonged outages, have heightened concerns particularly as a recent Spanish report placed much of the blame on the national system operator, Red Electrica, and unnamed private generators. The UK’s own system operator, NESO, will have been monitoring such developments closely, especially given the growing reliance on renewables and ageing infrastructure. Although NESO’s 2025/26 winter outlook is broadly reassuring, the forthcoming closures of all major nuclear plants except Sizewell B, and setbacks such as Orsted’s withdrawal from Hornsea 4, cast a shadow over future capacity.