Cost to rewire Great Britain’s electricity network could reach £90bn in 2030s

Labour promised to make UK a clean energy superpower by 2030, bringing forward by five years previous government’s plan. Photograph: Dave Donaldson/Alamy View image in fullscreen Labour promised to make UK a clean energy superpower by 2030, bringing forward by five years previous government’s plan. Photograph: Dave Donaldson/Alamy Cost to rewire Great Britain’s electricity network could reach £90bn in 2030s Energy system operator says sum needed to deliver clean power targets while meeting rising demand is up by 50% The cost of rewiring Great Britain’s electricity networks through the 2030s is now 50% higher than before the Labour government came to power, and could reach almost £90bn in the next decade, according to the energy system operator. Building new high-voltage transmission lines and infrastructure to connect low-carbon energy to the grid in the 2030s was initially forecast by the energy system operator to cost £58bn. Updated forecasts from the National Energy System Operator (Neso) now recommend network investments of £89bn could be needed to deliver the government’s clean power targets while meeting the country’s rising demand for electricity, including from datacentres . Neso, which is owned by the government, said the scale of investment was “broadly consistent” with its initial recommendations but had evolved to align with the UK government’s 2030 clean power action plan, an accelerated rollout of new low-carbon energy projects and rising inflation. Michael Shanks, the energy minister, said: “We are taking a strategic approach to building an energy system fit for the future – that safeguards our energy independence and keeps bills down while driving economic growth in every corner of Britain. “This provides a blueprint for where our electricity grid is needed – to power AI and industry, and ensure homes and businesses benefit from Britain’s clean, homegrown energy.” The system operator has recommended 43 network projects for delivery in the 2030s, including 16 network options that were not in Neso’s original 2024 forecast. These include new plans such as a project to connect windfarms in the Celtic Sea at three points across south Wales and south-west England, as well as variations or updated versions of previously recommended options. View image in fullscreen Energy minister Michael Shanks said: ‘We are taking a strategic approach to building an energy system fit for the future.’ Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian The Labour government won a historic election victory two years ago on the promise to make the UK a clean energy superpower by 2030, bringing forward by five years the previous government’s plan to create a virtually zero carbon power system by 2035. It set out targets to double onshore wind, triple solar power and quadruple the country’s offshore wind capacity by the end of the decade to achieve this goal. The pledge has galvanised action across the energy industry, speeding up work to build and connect clean energy