Do You Know? The UK energy regulator Ofgem has estimated that £70bn of investment will be required in the electricity grid between 2025 and 2031, according to the BBC.
Andy Burnham is expected to announce a publicly owned company called Great British Grid in his first Labour conference speech as party leader on Tuesday, 29 September 2026. The proposed body would invest in and compete for electricity transmission connection projects alongside the three private companies that currently own and manage Britain’s grid, Labour said.
How Great British Grid would work
Full details of the new body have not yet been set out. Labour said it would seek to increase competition for connection projects, with the aim of speeding up grid hook-ups.
The party also said Great British Grid would make it easier for businesses waiting to connect to finance connection infrastructure themselves. The body could support and potentially co-invest in projects alongside those businesses.
Funding is expected to come from the existing budget of GB Energy, the publicly owned green investment company established by Labour last year and headquartered in Aberdeen, according to the report.
Why the proposal matters to businesses
Britain’s electricity transmission network is expected to require extensive rewiring as power generation moves from large fossil-fuel stations towards more remote renewable-energy sites, including offshore wind farms.
The National Audit Office warned earlier this month that the number of projects waiting to connect to the grid had grown significantly and that project delays were also increasing.
Burnham is expected to argue that faster connections could help address energy costs that have proved difficult for businesses. Labour said greater competition could reduce costs and speed up delivery, allowing businesses to connect and expand more quickly.
Public ownership and energy costs
The proposed body is expected to be presented as the first significant step in Burnham’s ambition to provide greater public control of utilities. He is also expected to set a goal of bringing UK energy costs into line with those in other European countries within 10 years.
Those objectives remain political commitments rather than confirmed outcomes. The source does not provide a projected budget, investment amount or timetable for Great British Grid.
What happens next
Burnham is expected to outline the proposal during his Tuesday afternoon conference speech. Further details on the body’s structure, investment capacity and role alongside existing network companies were not available in the source report.
FAQ
What is Great British Grid?
It is a proposed publicly owned company that would invest in and compete for electricity transmission connection projects.
Who would it compete with?
Labour said it would operate alongside the three private companies that currently own and manage Britain’s electricity grid.
How would it be funded?
Labour said funding would come from the existing budget of GB Energy. No funding amount was provided.
Why is more grid investment needed?
Ofgem has estimated that £70bn of investment is required between 2025 and 2031, while the National Audit Office has warned of rising connection backlogs and delays.
Bottom Line
Great British Grid would introduce a publicly owned competitor into Britain’s electricity-transmission connection market, but its precise structure, funding capacity and delivery timetable have yet to be confirmed.
Source
This report is based on information published by BBC Business.
