• The report acknowledges the scale of the challenge and ambition required to build and deliver vital new electricity network infrastructure
  
• RWE supports the report’s ambition to halve deployment timescales from 14 to seven years
  
• Timely action, and a new long term mindset and approach are essential to success.

In June 2022 the Electricity Networks Commissioner (ENC) was appointed and tasked with advising Government on how to reduce the time it takes to deliver transmission infrastructure in Great Britain. Today Nick Winser released his report recommendations, supported by the Energy Systems Catapult (ESC).

RWE, the UK’s leading power generator, welcomes the publication of the Companion Report Findings and Recommendations. It acknowledges the scale of the challenge and ambition required to build and deliver the network infrastructure needed for the power sector to decarbonise and the UK to meet its net zero targets.

RWE’s UK Country Chair, Tom Glover, responds to the report: “We strongly support the Report’s ambition to not only address the scale of the challenge but to go further, looking at what is required to halve deployment timescales from 14 years down to around seven.

Securing timely grid connections and wider grid capacity issues are the number one issue affecting RWE’s ability to deliver clean energy projects across the UK, presenting delays of up to six years in connecting our projects to the UK power network and the benefits that these bring to consumers in the form of cleaner electricity and, cheaper bills.

In addition we welcome the report's focus on the need for a holistic, long-term strategic planning approach if we’re to deliver grid capacity in a timely manner. This will require the Government to ensure essential political, regulatory and financial frameworks are in place and that delivery bodies have the mandate to deliver on these objectives.

Planning  reform is urgently needed, and we therefore support recommendations to utilise fast-track processes for new electricity transmission infrastructure.

We note the Report’s acknowledgment of the potential bottlenecks caused by skills and supply chain shortages. This is an issue that affects the wider energy sector as we seek increased rollout of clean technologies and still needs urgent attention.

In the same way that think-tank Onward recently reported on the critical role of engaging communities in developing renewable energies, Winser also puts community support at the heart of the green transition.

The scale of investment required for the energy transition can deliver a myriad of new investment and employment opportunities, so it is also only fair that communities hosting projects see some form of benefit. RWE supports the principle of community benefits for those areas hosting network infrastructure, as it currently does on its own projects.

RWE has already set out a number of proposals and ideas that complement the broader, long-term proposals set out within Report. These include making the connections process work better while using the existing grid we have more efficiently. Specifically greater transparency of connection availability, allowing parties to ‘trade’ connection capacity, and more flexible and commercial arrangements for grid entry.

There is broad agreement across the energy sector on the scale of the problem and the need for a new approach. The Report provides an authoritative roadmap for reform of how we plan and deliver the UK’s power network infrastructure  - RWE urges Government and Ofgem to take the lead in driving this forward.”