Before we even hit the Christmas peak, National Grid reported increased demand of 7% within the first week of December, with extra requirements such as Christmas tree lights costing an average of 55p for just six hours of the day. It is these additional requirements that underline the importance of the ‘Great Grid Upgrade’.
At Christmas the demands placed on our electrical infrastructure increase. From cooking our festive favourites to playing new gaming consoles, this is the time of the year electricity companies will be working around the clock to ensure our energy demands are met.
Why does the grid need a great upgrade?
The energy system is changing dramatically. Energy generation is shifting towards smaller, distributed, non-dispatchable sources, like solar photovoltaics and wind. New, high demand consumers, like data centres, are also emerging. According to the National Energy System Operator, total annual electricity consumption by data centres could rise from 3.6 TWh in 2020 to as much as 35 TWh by 2050.
What is the Great Grid Upgrade?
The Great Grid Upgrade comprises 17 major infrastructure projects designed to scale up the grid and update existing networks. This includes a new planned high voltage undersea electricity link between Suffolk and Kent to carry more low carbon and renewable energy from where it is generated, to homes and businesses across the country. It also includes two new substations, 10 km of new overhead lines and 33 new pylons in Yorkshire.
Keep on cooking
The work included in this upgrade will help make sure everyone’s festive food is cooked on Christmas Day, using over 63 GWh of energy, as well as ensuring our usage demands during the rest of the year are met.
With clear goals of supplying cleaner and more affordable energy to homes and businesses throughout England and Wales, the ‘Great Grid Upgrade’ provides direct support for our ever growing energy demands.
Clean Power 2030
The government’s recently launched Clean Power 2030 Action Plan: a new era of clean electricity, suggests ‘electrification and other needs for clean power as part of net zero are likely to result in at least a doubling of electricity consumption compared to today’.
It is also likely to lead to more seasonal and spikier demand than is seen today according to the action plan as greater numbers of buildings use electricity for heating, and demand requirements for heat increase on particularly cold days.
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