Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced today the creation of Great British Grid (GB Grid), a new publicly owned company which will aim to bring the grid under public ownership. The government says that the aim of this is to increase competition while driving down costs, by addressing electricity prices, expanding renewable and nuclear energy.
The Government’s proposed GB Grid reforms have sparked debate about how to accelerate network expansion while supporting a more flexible energy system. EDRC’s Flexibility theme lead Jacopo Torriti commented on the news:
“The proposal could help address the challenges associated with grid connection queues, which have become a major constraint on network development, delaying both generation and demand-side projects that are critical for the energy transition.
Expanding network capacity is essential, but flexibility remains equally important. A larger grid will require smarter balancing of supply and demand. The UK has already made significant progress in flexibility governance through reforms led by Ofgem, DESNZ and NESO, but the next phase will require greater attention to emerging opportunities such as Demand Turn Up, where flexible electricity demand can help absorb growing renewable generation and reduce overall system costs.”