Industry calls for urgent action to address electricity network constraints

Energy industry calls for urgent action to address network constraints

• Six UK energy trade associations have urged the government to take immediate action to address electricity network constraints if the UK is to achieve net zero
• The letter highlights that new clean energy projects are facing delays of up to fifteen years to connect to the grid
• A CEO-led plan from the system operator and transmission and distribution networks is recommended

Six trade bodies representing the UK energy sector including Regen and the Electricity Storage Network have written to the Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy asking for his personal leadership to address constraints on the electricity network.

The letter highlights that energy projects are facing delays of up to fifteen years due to capacity constraints on the electricity transmission network. The trade bodies are concerned that this is delaying billions of pounds of private investment needed to deliver on the UK government’s targets for renewable energy generation, electricity storage, heat pumps and electric vehicle rapid chargers.  

The trade bodies ask the Secretary of State to take measures that enable a shift towards strategic investment in the electricity networks. They also urge that he require a CEO-led plan from the system operator and transmission and distribution networks to implement immediate measures to address constraints.

Merlin Hyman, CEO at Regen, commented, “We are in a race to develop renewable power and electricity storage to meet our net zero goals and tackle high bills caused by the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels, but underinvestment in the electricity network is leading to delays of fifteen years for projects to get a connection. We are calling on the Secretary of State to make enabling clean energy projects to connect the key priority for our electricity system operator, transmission, and distribution networks.”

­-ENDS-

For further information and media enquiries, please contact:

Estelle Limon, Policy Coordinator at Regen, at elimon@regen.co.uk or +44 (0) 7875 175 063

Notes to editors

[1] Joint open letter to the Secretary of State, Grant Shapps MP, from UK energy trade bodies including Regen, Electricity Storage Network, Solar Energy UK, The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology, Scottish Renewables, and Renewable UK:  https://www.regen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Grant-Shapps-letter-on-grid-constraints-Regen-and-UK-energy-trade-bodies.pdf