Credit: iStock - Graeme J Baty
An On the wire story
The Government has unveiled Great British Grid, a new publicly owned body inside Great British Energy, in an attempt to speed up electricity connections, bolster energy security and bring down costs. Ministers say the organisation will help deliver the network upgrades needed for cleaner power, while also opening the door to wider investment in critical infrastructure.
At Labour’s conference on Tuesday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the body would ‘challenge the private sector operators… increase competition, drive down costs and speed up connections’.
The announcement also includes plans to widen self-build connections, allowing developers and businesses in some cases to build their own links to the grid rather than waiting for network companies to do the work. The Government says that approach has already shortened connection times in Ireland by as much as 11 months.
It also wants to accelerate competitive tendering for transmission projects, enabling a broader pool of organisations, including Great British Grid, to bid for new network work.
According to the Government, the new model is intended to complement rather than replace existing institutions: Ofgem would remain the economic regulator, while the National Energy System Operator would keep responsibility for operating, planning and co-ordinating the electricity system.
Reference
Inspired by headline at: Fleet News [1]
• This On the wire article was created using Noahwire AI and reviewed by CIBSE Journal’s editorial team
