Ever wondered how long it takes to connect a new project to the electrical grid? On average, it’s about a decade. This is a problem. With the amount of projects in the pipeline, stuck in a bureaucratic waiting game, we could more than meet our grid connection targets. It’s so frustrating seeing climate solutions stuck in a quagmire of paperwork!
If We Want Grid Connection Now, It’ll Cost Us
As of February this year, the UK had 83GW connected to the grid, meanwhile 257GW was awaiting approval. According to National Grid ESO, we need between 123-146GW to be connected by 2030 in order to be on track for net-zero. Part of the reason that projects take so long to gain approval is that they tend to be funded by customers’ usage. It’s feared that providers building ahead of demand would push up prices; for both them and their customers.
Sir Dieter Helm, professor of economic policy at the University of Oxford says,
“Its main objective has been to minimise cost, which means it has only allowed the network operator to build where demand was already visible.”
Green Light To Grow
There’s a lot that needs to be done to get the grid up to scale. We need to double the length of power lines to the distance between the earth and the sun by 2050! That’s about 152 million kilometres! We need to almost double production from 300TWh to 650TWh, too!
The grid is expected to require $21 trillion investment, which amounts to 30% of the funds allocated for the energy transition. In the next decade the grid needs to expand by 17GW. This may seem achievable given the 257GW waiting for the green light, but over the last ten years we’ve expanded the grid by just 4GW. This is a result of a badly designed system that requires projects to wait in a first come first served style queue that doesn’t take into account the viability of each proposition.
Greg Jackson, chief executive of power supplier Octopus Energy explains,
“We have a project in Durham where connection is scheduled for 2036,”…“No one is going to wait 13 years.”
The Global Grid
Globally, we need electricity to meet 70% of our energy needs, but it currently manages about 20%. As will everything, this problem is bigger in America, with around 2000GW waiting to be connected to their grid.
If we’re going to meet our net-zero targets, the National Grid needs an overhaul of its protocol. We need to speed up the route for projects, from planning and approval to construction. Some suggest allowing projects that are further into planning to jump the queue, as some sit in line that aren’t ever likely to be built.
How do you reckon we can speed up grid connection? Let us know in the comments!
Hear more about National Grid ESO here: National Grid Makes Huge Profits As Waiting List Criticised
