Jul 7, 2022
National Grid lays out plans for £54bn upgrade to UK energy network
National Grid has laid out plans for a £54bn upgrade to the UK's electricity network, the biggest investment since the 1960s in real terms, to facilitate a rapid expansion in offshore wind energy. The plan marks the first time that the development of offshore connections for wind farms has been co-ordinated and will be one of the largest ever civil infrastructure programmes in the UK. National Grid Electricity Systems Operator, a subsidiary of the FTSE 100-listed National Grid, which moves electricity around the system and keeps supply and demand in balance, has proposed 15 connection points to bring energy from 18 offshore wind farms to land. The plan "Is a key step in providing certainty to offshore wind developers and mitigating potential impacts on the environment and local communities from energy infrastructure," said Fintan Slye, executive director of National Grid's electricity system operator. National Grid ESO said it would save consumers £5.5bn in costs by 2030 by increasing network capacity compared with connecting wind farms individually. In 2020 wind energy accounted for almost a quarter of total electricity generation in the UK. National Grid receives around £20 a year from each consumer bill as part of an electricity transmission charge.
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