The UK government has announced the creation of Great British Grid (GBG), a new publicly owned body within Great British Energy aimed at accelerating the development of the electricity network infrastructure needed to meet rising demand and connect new sources of clean power.

The new organisation will be able to mobilise public capital alongside private investment to support grid projects across the country and will work alongside existing network operators. According to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the initiative is intended to increase competition and speed up the upgrades required across Britain’s electricity system.

Great British Grid will not replace existing institutions. Ofgem will remain the independent economic regulator, while NESO will continue to be responsible for system operation, planning and coordination. Existing network operators will also retain their current roles.

More investment to expand and modernise the grid

The government says Britain’s electricity network will need to expand and modernise at an unprecedented pace to meet growing demand from households and industry, enable new clean generation to connect and support economic growth.

Great British Energy will therefore be able to invest not only in generation, storage and supply chains, but also, through Great British Grid, in electricity network infrastructure.

The announcement comes as the government continues working with NESO and Ofgem on wider reforms to the connections system. These include an overhaul of the connections queue and the removal of more than 300 GW of speculative capacity.

Developers will be able to build their own connections

Another key measure will be the expansion of self-build connections, allowing developers and businesses to construct their own grid connections where appropriate instead of waiting for network companies to deliver them.

The government expects this to help reduce delays and costs. It points to similar reforms in Ireland, where connection times have reportedly been reduced by up to 11 months.

The UK will also accelerate the competitive tendering of transmission projects, allowing a wider range of organisations, including Great British Grid, to compete to deliver new network infrastructure.

Solar Energy UK welcomes the move but calls for results

The British solar industry welcomed the announcement, while warning that the success of Great British Grid will ultimately depend on whether it delivers a tangible reduction in connection delays and costs.

Solar Energy UK said that, despite several reforms in recent years, some solar farms and commercial-scale installations still face connection dates stretching well into the 2030s.

Chris Hewett, Chief Executive of Solar Energy UK, said grid delays had become a major barrier to economic growth for both new generation projects and large electricity consumers, while also holding back investment and contributing to higher energy costs. 

Hewett called for greater clarity on when existing connection delays and above-inflation cost increases will be resolved so that companies can increase investment in the UK.

The association also said the remit of Great British Grid still needs to be clarified, particularly whether it will focus only on the high-voltage transmission network or also extend to lower-voltage distribution networks, where the majority of solar projects connect.

Through these measures, the government aims to increase investment, speed up grid delivery and ensure the electricity system can support clean power deployment, strengthen energy security and meet future demand growth.