Landmark grid report shows how to speed up roll out of clean power for British homes and businesses

“Our electricity network is the single biggest barrier to delivering a zero-carbon power system by 2035. So we’re pleased that this timely report puts forward a series of constructive measures to speed up the pace at which the UK builds vital new grid infrastructure. These recommendations will benefit billpayers across the country by ensuring that we maximise the vast quantities of cheap, clean power we’re generating from renewables, and that we can get it to British homes and businesses more efficiently.

“The UK has reached a turning point where delaying new grid is not in the best interests of consumers, as they need to be able to access electricity at the lowest cost more easily. This report shows that removing constraints and bottlenecks from the grid as a matter of urgency will provide the best value for money for billpayers. It sets out a range of proposals for a strategic long-term plan for network development which will be essential to meet our net zero goals.

“The report rightly highlights the importance of engaging with communities who might see new grid infrastructure nearby in the coming decades. Clear guidance on how communities can comment on the design of projects to reduce their visual impact, as well as ways to enable communities hosting new infrastructure to benefit from doing so, will be important steps forward. The Government also needs to show leadership on why new infrastructure is essential to increase the UK’s energy security and reduce bills.

“There are many practical suggestions in the report on how to streamline the delivery of new projects which would be easy to implement, such as sharing data and surveys so that they only need to be done once, rather than duplicating effort by making different parties do the same piece of work, at a time when we need to strengthen Britain’s energy security as fast as possible.

“It’s great to see job opportunities being flagged up too – as many as 130,000 – especially for young people, as the report states that a wide range of skills will be needed to modernise and upgrade our electricity network, with highly skilled roles in construction, planning, engineering and environmental science, now and in the years ahead”.