Sustainability First on The Great Grid Upgrade: Transforming the UK’s Future for Clean, Secure, and Affordable Power
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The UK’s energy landscape stands at the edge of a new era of clean electricity distribution, bringing what the National Grid has named ‘The Great Grid Upgrade.’ This ambitious project aims to modernise the UK’s energy infrastructure, increasing its capacity for renewable energy and paving the way for the nation’s carbon-neutral targets. While the Upgrade has the potential to reshape the way companies and citizens generate and consume electricity, it is not without its challenges. However, through an evidence-based and collaborative approach, organisations like Sustainability First are helping mend the gap between the Grid’s plans and what communities demand.
The Great Grid Upgrade comes first as a response to the burning need to move away from fossil fuels like natural gas— which heats up 84% of the UK’s homes— to combat the effects of climate change. Additionally, global events disconnected from the vast majority of Britain’s population like the Ukraine-Russia war have caused significant volatility in gas prices, exacerbating the country’s already-precarious energy dependence. For instance, during the first year of the conflict, the average UK household spent £800 more on gas than in 2021. For many, this made energy bills unaffordable, forcing families to choose between ‘heating or eating.’ This prompted the government, like others in Europe, to intervene with capped prices on fuel. Yet the underlying problem remains: a reliance on imported fossil fuels leaves the UK vulnerable to crises.
The good news is that the Grid Upgrade will enable the UK to tap into its renewable resources, namely wind energy, ensuring that the country can create and depend on its own electricity and protect it against price shocks and energy insecurity. The development of 17 new projects, both on- and off-shore and primarily concentrated on the east coast, is the centrepiece of the Upgrade, where new transmission lines will be built to handle the increasing load and demand for electricity in the coming years.
Sustainability First, a charity and independent think tank, has worked in the background to advocate for a fair, transparent, and inclusive transition to a greener energy ecosystem. As an evidence-first organisation, Sustainability First’s mission is to protect vulnerable citizens while ensuring that the energy system works for everyone. As David Murray, Executive Director, states, “We believe that the more people know, the more likely they can act. That action is not just for themselves but for the environment and future generations, predominantly to protect their own consumer rights.”
Sustainability First has worked tirelessly to address issues like forced metering and gaps in the energy price cap system, ensuring that no one is left behind as the sector continues to evolve through the next few decades.
One of the most exciting aspects of the Great Grid Upgrade is its potential to revitalise communities along the east coast, where much of the new infrastructure will be developed. Areas that have historically been underfunded or overlooked stand to especially benefit from the influx of government and private investment and the changing economy associated with the Upgrade. These large projects will require a massive workforce to push them past the finish line, creating over 55,000 jobs, from skilled manual labour to engineers and data scientists. Initiatives such as retrofitting housing stock for improved energy efficiency will reduce and stabilise household energy costs. Additionally, the Community Grant Programme will proactively search to fund communities for projects like solar generation schemes, enabling towns to invest back in themselves.
But the visual impact of pylons and other infrastructure remains a contentious issue. While many are concerned about the aesthetic consequences of the projects, the reality is that the visual impact is often less severe than anticipated. Sustainability First’s David Murray emphasizes, “Although there’s been some catastrophising, the complaints are partly a result of the fact that communities haven’t been sufficiently consulted about changes to their towns.” While the National Grid is committed to engaging communities early in the planning process, there will also be new guidelines for private transmission operators to ensure community voices are heard. By embracing the fact that residents are not merely recipients of top-down governance, the renewed focus on transparency and community dialogue will be key to gaining public support and mitigating criticisms.
Leading by example, Sustainability First will be spearheading a community engagement initiative. The organisation will engage a cross-representative group of 45 individuals across the east coast close to where projects are likely to be developed. Through a series of deliberative workshops, participants will be introduced and invited to share their opinions.
In parallel, the European Climate Foundation has commissioned Sustainability First to produce a comprehensive report on effective community engagement strategies for companies involved in sustainability projects. The report is scheduled for release in late autumn.
This shift to greater energy independence will ultimately enable the UK to meet its carbon-neutral targets. For individuals, homes built close to new pylons can receive up to £1,000 a year off their energy bills for the next ten years, allowing renewable energy to undoubtedly support residents’ savings on utilities. Moreover, as infrastructure is built to match the increasing amount of domestically generated renewable energy, the UK could become an energy exporter, further boosting its economy.
In response to the concerns citizens have raised, Sustainability First advocates for private and government entities to be more transparent, engage community members with the soon-to-be-their-neighbours projects, make the necessary information packets more accessible, and for private distribution network operators to be more proactive in their environmental leadership efforts.
While the changes may be unsettling for some communities in the UK, the Great Grid Upgrade will bring many opportunities along with it. For communities on the east coast, the projects are not just about pylons and overhead cables, they’re about energy security, lower bills, job creation, and a cleaner future for everyone.