Caitlin Bonney, Nicholas School MEM’19
If you find yourself traveling in Europe this summer and continuously being late, you might be able to blame the ENTSO (European Network of Transmission System Operators). That is, if you have an electric clock that is controlled by the frequency of the grid rather than a quartz crystal.
Since mid-January of this year, clocks in 25 European countries have been incorrectly telling time because there has been a continuous frequency decline in the joint European grid. Devices like plug-in clocks and microwaves may show a delay of nearly six minutes. The European grid is meant to operate at a frequency of 50 Hz but the average this year has been 49.996 Hz.
The root of the issue is a long term political dispute between Serbia and Kosovo, both of which are connected to the European grid. Kosovo separated from Serbia in 2008. The transmission system operator in Kosovo has been unable to buy enough supply to balance its network. According to the (outdated) ENTSO rulebook, Serbia should have been responsible for helping keep everything balanced but they did not. The problem has been sorted out and the frequency deviation has stopped, but the issue brings to light the importance of regulation and the challenges that come with operating a large grid that serves many countries. It also shows that frequency control really does matter! More on National Geographic
Recent development on this issue: Frequency deviations in Continental Europe originating from Kosovo started again