The largest early morning electricity surge ever reported was in Leith and in Easterhouse in Glasgow as people stayed up to watch the World Cup at the weekend.
SP Energy Networks reported the country’s largest early morning power surge when millions watched Scotland beat Haiti at the weekend – the first World Cup match involving the national team for almost three decades.
Engineers said there was a 15% rise in overnight electricity demand during the match in central and southern Scotland. This was equivalent to 200,000 homes coming online when the demand is usually low.
The biggest spikes in demand for power were in Easterhouse in Glasgow and the North of Edinburgh around Leith.
Stephen Kelly, Transmission Operations Director at SP Energy Networks’ said: “This was a huge moment for Scotland, and we’re proud that our teams kept the power flowing as fans across the country came together in the early hours to celebrate a historic win.
“We have teams working around the clock to monitor and manage the network 365 days a year. Our £12billion investment in the transmission network alone will help us maintain that reliability while enabling more affordable, homegrown energy, creating jobs and boosting the economy for generations to come.”
This was Scotland’s first men’s World Cup appearance since 1998, when the country was still powered largely by fossil fuels and nuclear generation. Today, the system is predominantly supplied by renewable energy from iconic assets such as Whitelee Windfarm, supported by modern, transmission and distribution networks with 99.9% reliability .
With electricity demand set to double by 2050, SP Energy Networks say there is a need for a network overhaul to increase grid capacity, strengthen energy security and reduce constraint costs while helping homes and businesses across the country move to an all-electric future.
