The National Grid is preparing for massive peaks in electricity demand during the World Cup, with Scotland and England’s group games anticipated to drive especially high usage.
According to the National Energy System Operator (NESO), games that feature domestic teams could see demand rise by up to 600MW – equivalent to the output of a single massive generator unit at a major thermal power station.
NESO expects that it will generate around 40–50% of the demand from renewable sources, and that requirements will be roughly 20% lower than during 1998 World Cup matches – largely down to the improved efficiency of televisions and devices, which use much less energy than those in use during past tournaments.
As the largest World Cup ever staged, featuring 40 more games than any previous tournament, energy analysts anticipate that the 2026 event could lead to as much as 60% more electricity demand across its 39 days, or around 18GW more electricity used than during Qatar 2022.
Energy demand typically...