The UK spent a record nearly £1.5 billion in 2025 on "constraint payments" after parts of the ageing grid could not carry high wind output. Authorities paid about £380 million to wind farms to curtail turbines and £1.08 billion to conventional power stations to replace the lost output. Experts warn these payments will rise unless transmission infrastructure and grid management are upgraded, potentially pushing up household electricity bills.
UK Paid Nearly £1.5bn To Curb Wind Output In 2025 — Grid Limits Drive Rising "Constraint Payments"
Brickbat: Off the Grid
In 2025 the United Kingdom spent a record nearly £1.5 billion (about $2 billion) on payments to limit wind generation because parts of the ageing transmission network cannot safely carry high turbine output. When strong winds push remote turbines to produce more electricity than local power lines can transport, grid operators pay wind farms to curtail output and then pay other generators—often gas plants—to replace the lost power.
How The Costs Broke Down
Last year the government paid roughly £380 million to compensate wind farms for shutting turbines and about £1.08 billion (≈ $1.46 billion) to conventional power stations to make up the shortfall. These so-called "constraint payments" have reached record levels as renewable capacity grows faster than the transmission network that moves electricity around the country.
Why It Matters
Constraint payments are effectively a symptom of a grid that needs urgent investment. Without upgrades to transmission lines and better connection planning, experts warn the payments will continue to rise—costs that ultimately flow through to household electricity bills and undermine some of the economic benefits of expanding renewables.
"As more wind capacity is added, the network must be upgraded to carry that power; otherwise the system will keep paying to waste clean energy and call on fossil plants instead," warned energy analysts.
What Comes Next
Policymakers and grid operators face a choice: accelerate transmission upgrades and smarter grid management (including storage and flexible demand) or continue paying rising constraint fees to manage supply imbalances. Upgrades require planning and investment, but proponents argue they are essential to make the transition to renewables both reliable and cost-effective for consumers.
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