Illuminating the future

The UK’s energy infrastructure is at a critical moment, as it transitions to affordable, secure, and sustainable low carbon energy.

Transformation is essential to support increased renewable generation, energy distribution, transmission, storage, and to integrate promising new technologies such as green hydrogen, data centres, and microgrids. Grid will play a key role in this transformation.

Our report, written in partnership with energy transition specialist inspiratia, features valuable insights from leading voices in the renewable energy sector. Their contributions address the important question: how do we create a grid which is fit for the future?

The transition to net-zero offers opportunities to rethink how we generate, distribute, transmit, and store energy. While there are challenges on the path to achieving a zero carbon grid by 2030, with the right direction our energy infrastructure has the potential to become one of the UK’s greatest assets.

Read the report

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Inside the report

The big picture

What are the opportunities for targeted investments, government support, and strategic reforms that will help create a resilient, future-ready grid capable of powering the country’s green energy transition?

Current state of the grid

The UK's current grid infrastructure is struggling to meet the demands of modern energy consumption and production. Connection delays, high curtailment rates and long-stop dates can impact the viability and profitability of projects.

Addressing the key issues

With a healthy pipeline of projects and a hugely competitive industry, what do we need to address to bridge the capacity gap between current renewable generation and the 2030 targets?

Integration of new technologies, infrastructure expansion, the growing number of projects waiting for grid connections and the need to remove zombie projects from the queue.

Reinforcements and flexibility

To support the rollout of renewable energy generation that is needed to achieve net-zero, the grid needs reinforcement, and enhanced flexibility.

Anticipating future capacity needs by taking a forward-thinking approach to grid planning, rather than reacting on a project-by-project basis.

Flexibility, to match supply and demand and interseasonal changes, needs to go hand in hand with changing consumer behaviour.

Regulatory environment

The UK’s regulatory environment has allowed innovative grid management techniques to flourish.

The Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) is intended to create a more adaptable market framework, but how long might the proposed reforms take to implement?

TMO4+ aims to streamline the connections process, prioritising projects that are ready to connect, building investor confidence.

A ‘first ready, first connected’ system should remove unviable projects from the queue, but could it mean that some viable projects become collateral damage?

Battery storage

Battery storage is vital for grid balancing – managing supply and demand. Rapid progress in battery storage technology still needs policy change and education to support deployment.

Skip rates pose a challenge, but solutions like dynamic line rating and co-location could unlock flexibility and more potential from the current grid.

Other balancing technologies

Green hydrogen, data centres, and microgrids represent promising solutions for grid stability and energy storage.

How will they be fully integrated into the UK’s energy infrastructure?

What market conditions are needed to accelerate development over the coming years?

Market dynamics

The private sector will continue to play a pivotal role in channelling investment into new renewable energy generation and battery storage projects.

With the Government's 2030 deadline for a zero carbon grid, how can more investment into grid infrastructure projects be stimulated?

A sustainable, stable, flexible and modern grid has an important role to play in the credibility of net-zero targets.

Expert recommendations

Leading voices from across the renewable energy sector share their insights about the practical actions needed to support a comprehensive transformation of the UK's energy infrastructure.

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Featuring

Mark Wood, Managing Director UK, Ampyr Solar Europe

Damon Rand, Managing Director, and Head of Product, Cepro

Tony Gannon, Head of Downing Renewable Developments (a subsidiary of Downing LLP)

Spencer Thompson, CEO, Eclipse Power Networks

Luis Mayor Salgado, Managing Director, Enray Power

Duncan Pomeroy, Director of Grid Connections, Enso Energy

Rob Smith, Regulation and Grid Development Manager, Enso Energy

Damian Jackman, Technical Commercial Lead, Field Energy

Robin Duncan, Development Manager, Lightsource BP

Andrew McAleavey, CFO, Luminous Energy

Gregory Triantafyllidis, Head of Project Engineering, RWE

Guy Nicholson, Head of Zero Carbon Grid Solutions, Statkraft