The British government's net-zero plans are about to get a huge boost in the form of a massive increase in transmission capacity by National Grid, reported TechXplore. An investment of £35 billion ($45 billion) will be made by the company to upgrade the electricity grid in the United Kingdom.
"The plan includes an unprecedented level of investment ... over the five years to March 2031," National Grid said in a statement, per TechXplore.
After promising to move away from dirty energy and shift toward renewable energy sources, the Labour government has set out to decarbonize the UK's electricity grid by 2030.
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Definitely 👍 In the past, new green energy projects have had to wait years to connect to the grid due to its limited capacity. By doubling the transmission capacity, National Grid (the company responsible for electricity in England and Wales) will make it possible for the entire country to take a huge leap in the direction of sustainability.
The investment will upgrade the existing grid network and support new construction projects to expand the infrastructure and increase the overall capacity.
In addition to this investment by National Grid, SSE and ScottishPower (both responsible for the electricity in Scotland) have announced plans to invest a combined £32.6 billion ($40.1 billion) in grid infrastructure.
As part of their renewable energy plans, Labour has launched the publicly-owned clean-energy company Great British Energy. The company is intended to spur investment in renewable energy projects like solar, wind, nuclear, and tidal power. They will receive £8.3 billion ($10.2 billion) of taxpayers' money over the course of the next five years, per TechXplore.
Switching to electric power reduces the demand for natural gas and allows for more clean energy usage, producing affordable power for residents and reducing pollution output.
"This plan represents the most significant step forward in the electricity network that we've seen in a generation," said National Grid's chief executive John Pettigrew, per TechXplore. "We will nearly double the amount of energy that can be transported around the country."
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