WARWICK, England — Jon Butterworth is the guy tasked with helping protect the country if there’s ever a major attack on Britain’s energy system.
The boss of National Gas, he oversees thousands of miles of transmission pipelines, the crucial network of pressurized pipes transporting gas to power stations, heavy industry, and via local distributors to heat millions of British homes.
That’s the day job.
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But if Britain ever faced a gas supply emergency, Butterworth would have sweeping powers to control domestic gas flows, if necessary cutting off factories, power stations, and — in extreme scenarios — homes as well, to preserve supply for hospitals and other vital infrastructure.
