Labour ministers are urged to double their funding within the grid to fulfill surging demand for electrical energy
Ministers must double their investment in the grid to meet surging demand for electricity, the National Infrastructure Commission warns today.
With energy demands predicted to double by 2050, the Government must ensure the system can cope and connect new sources of renewable power to the grid, it says.
Households will have to pay more to meet the demands of charging electric vehicles and operating heat pumps – investments many are put off making due to concerns about whether the energy to power them is available.
In a report, the Government’s independent infrastructure advisor says that the investment could add £5-25 to the average annual electricity bill by the middle of the next decade.
But it says bills will still be lower than they are today if ministers support low carbon energy and decarbonising heat.
Sir John Armitt, Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, said: ‘The UK is heading in the right direction on decarbonising power, but we can’t be complacent.
Surging demand for electricity means ministers must double their investment in the grid, the National Infrastructure Commission warns today
The investment could add £5-25 to the average annual electricity bill by the middle of the next decade, the Government’s independent infrastructure advisor said
‘We must learn the lessons from playing catch-up on transmission grid expansion and get ahead of the curve on investing in our local networks, so people can enjoy the benefits of electric vehicles and heat pumps safe in the knowledge the network will back them up, and businesses can connect where and when they need to.’
Sam Richards, CEO of pro-growth campaign group Britain Remade, said: ‘For too long, slow grid connections and bureaucratic red-tape have held back investment, innovation, and job creation.
‘Ofgem must embrace a new, pro-growth approach that encourages investment, removes barriers to expansion, and delivers a network capable of supporting the new nuclear power stations and renewables that are needed to deliver the government’s mission of a clean grid by 2030.
