Overwhelming power

The European electricity market is gearing up for liberalisation and competition and the invasion of a risk management culture. Unlike in the Cavafy poem, there will be no last minute reprieve and the “barbarians” will come, to some countries faster than others. The UK, with Sweden and Finland, is at the vanguard of the encounter with fully free market forces and over the next six months will demonstrate the outcome of an “if you can’t beat them, join them” stance, writes Liz Bossley.