Plans for seven-day energy blackouts have reportedly been tested by the government as part of ‘Programme Yarrow.’
According to the Guardian, which says it has seen sensitive documents related to the plan, the government would prioritise young and elderly people when allocating food, water and shelter in the event of a prolonged blackout.
“All governments do contingency planning for worst-case scenarios, but the truth is that we are vulnerable as a country,” said Ed Miliband, shadow climate secretary, who blamed “a decade of failed Conservative energy policy” for the worsened situation.
Programme Yarrow reportedly covers the government’s response to technical faults, first drawn up in 2021, that would affect the UK energy grid in a worst-case scenario, with causes ranging from flood damage to hostile attacks.
With winter approaching, National Grid PLC (LSE:NG.) has previously warned that three-hour power outages could be a last-resort if the UK faces energy supply shortages.
Despite this, the documents viewed by the Guardian suggest the government has preparations in place for a far worse scenario, where all sectors including communications, transport, energy, food and water supply were affected.
Speaking to the Guardian, a government spokesperson reassured: “As a responsible government, it is right that we plan for all potential scenarios and work with industry to prepare and exercise robust contingency plans.”