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National Grid Planning Three-Hour Blackouts In United Kingdom

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Kay Smythe News and Commentary Writer
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Great Britain’s National Grid said Thursday it is planning three-hour blackouts in parts of the country through the winter, according to a report from Wales Online.

The decision is part of National Grid’s recent attempts to protect its network and keep up supply. The company’s Electricity System Operator (ESO) predicted Britain is set for a “challenging” winter as the energy crisis continues, Wales Online reported. Residents will be paid to not use their washing machines or charge their cars during the island nation’s peak hours in another effort to maintain supply, the outlet noted.

National Grid is also proposing the forced blackouts to test what would happen if there was insufficient gas supplies or otherwise no imports of electricity from the European continent, Wales Online continued. Similar planned blackouts occurred during the 1970s in response to the miner strike and oil crisis, brought on by the British government’s decision to close mines despite plenty of minerals used for energy production remaining inside.

SELBY, ENGLAND - AUGUST 24: Recently installed wind turbines generate electricty in the shadow of Drax, Europe's biggest coal fired power station, on August 24, 2010 in Selby, England. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

SELBY, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Recently installed wind turbines generate electricty in the shadow of Drax, Europe’s biggest coal fired power station, on August 24, 2010 in Selby, England. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

The three-hour blackouts are the most extreme of three possible scenarios suggested by ESO, Wales Online continued. The two other scenarios include paying people to charge their electric cars overnight or at other off-peak times, as well as restarting the grid’s backup coal plants.

Many people in Europe and the UK are already choosing between eating and heating as the global economic crisis takes hold, largely brought about by lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic and stress on energy supplies from the war between Russia and Ukraine. (RELATED: Aaron Rodgers Wants To Get To London Early So He Can Drink Beer, Experience The Culture)

The move by Britain’s National Grid comes days after Bangladesh was plunged into darkness as an issue in the government-run power grid shut down 80% of the nation’s electricity. Similar energy issues could strike the US as both the global energy and financial crises continue through 2022 and into 2023.