Needed ASAP: £4.7 billion for UK grid

The UK needs to spend some £4.7 billion to improve its electricity grid (PDF) to meet its climate and energy goals by 2020, according to a new report from the Electricity Networks Strategy Group (ENSG).

Under European Union targets, the UK aims to obtain 15 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. To meet that goal, it needs to improve its transmission network to accommodate new energy sources such as onshore and offshore wind, states the report, “Our Electricity Transmission Network: A Vision for 2020.”

By optimising the integration of such wind developments, the study adds, the UK could actually save some £850 million in development costs.

“The development of the potential reinforcements are phased to achieve a 2020 delivery date with the initial phase being delivered in 2015 based on the prospective growth of renewables in each region,” the report states. “It is recognised that there will continue to be a degree of uncertainty about the volume and timing of generation growth in any given area. It is therefore proposed to continue to monitor the developments of the market and update the scenarios accordingly.”