Ofgem has sounded a warning to the new Electricity System Operator (ESA), currently being spun-out of National Grid, that it expects it to be proactive in fostering transparent markets and competition in the industry.

The warning came as Ofgem decided that a rule change that would ensure a single information point for market messages, such as an unexpected plant outage, did not have to be treated as “urgent”. The proposer had hoped it would be in place before the upcoming winter.