Labour leader Andy Burnham will announce Great British Grid, a publicly owned company intended to speed up electricity transmission connections by investing in and competing for projects alongside private network operators. The plan aims to tackle a growing backlog of connection requests and help align UK energy costs with European levels within ten years. Ofgem estimates about £70bn of grid investment is needed by 2031, while the NAO warns delays and backlogs have grown significantly.
Burnham Unveils 'Great British Grid' to Speed Electricity Connections and Cut Energy Costs
[Jeff Overs/BBC]
Labour leader Andy Burnham will use his first party conference speech in Liverpool to unveil a new publicly owned company, Great British Grid (GB Grid), aimed at investing in and accelerating high-voltage electricity connections across Britain.
What Is GB Grid?
Labour says GB Grid will invest in transmission connection projects and compete alongside the three private network companies that currently own and operate the country's high-voltage grid. The body would also support — and where appropriate co-invest with — businesses that want to fund their own connection infrastructure, helping speed up delivery for new generators and large users.
Why It Matters
The transition from large, centralised fossil-fuel power stations to more dispersed renewables, including offshore windfarms located further from demand centres, means Britain’s ageing transmission network requires substantial rewiring. Ofgem estimates around £70bn of investment will be needed between 2025 and 2031 — roughly four times the current rate of spending. The National Audit Office has warned the backlog of projects awaiting grid connection has grown significantly and delays are increasing.
'GB Grid will work with the private sector and network companies to reform a broken energy market,' Burnham is expected to say, adding that it will 'increase competition to drive down costs and speed up delivery so businesses can connect faster and grow quicker.'
Funding and Wider Context
Labour says funding for GB Grid will come from the existing budget of GB Energy, the public green investment vehicle the party established last year and which is now headquartered in Aberdeen. The proposal is framed as the first major step in a broader plan to bring UK energy costs closer to those in other European countries within ten years and to extend greater public control over utilities.
The announcement comes ahead of a challenging Budget, with fiscal room constrained by rising borrowing costs. It also arrives amid related debates about long-term funding priorities, including plans to provide free social care in England from 2030 and questions over the sustainability of the 'triple lock' pension uprating policy — an issue ministers say remains a manifesto commitment for this parliament.
What Comes Next
Full operational details of GB Grid have not yet been published. Labour intends the new body to bid competitively for transmission connection projects, co-invest with private firms, and help reduce delays that have been described by industry watchdogs as a growing problem. The plan is likely to feature prominently in Burnham's conference pitch for 'bold and honest' leadership and practical steps to tackle the energy cost crisis faced by businesses and households.
Key facts: GB Grid announced at Labour conference in Liverpool; Ofgem estimate of ~£70bn needed for 2025–2031; NAO warning on connection backlogs; funding proposed from GB Energy's budget.
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