North West green transition set for £2 billion investment boost

Efforts for the region to become a greener place to live and work are set for a £2 billion boost over the next five years following the reveal of investment plans of power grid operator, Electricity North West.

Plans from the Stockport and Warrington based infrastructure company include new investment in the operation, maintenance and upgrading of the region’s electricity grid to support changing needs of the network as people move away from fossil fuels to clean, green electricity to power their cars and heating.

The plan will see Electricity North West invest in innovation and technology and enable it to continue to be the most digital network operator in Europe, as well as include significant sums to improve customer service and supporting those in vulnerable circumstances, such as in fuel poverty or most at risk from power outages.

Ofgem have given their approval of the £2 billion plan, first set out in Spring 2021. As a result, the network operator will now begin work to improve the capacity of the power grid across the region, which comprises 57,000 km of underground cables and overhead lines, and many thousands of electricity substations. Electricity North West will also continue its apprentice scheme and create hundreds of jobs directly and as part of its supply chain through the project.

Ian Smyth, chief executive officer at Electricity North West, said:

“This is a really exciting time for us and for the region. It’s the people who live, learn and work in the North West who are our top priority. As well as this huge network investment we’re also committed to delivering some of the top rated customer service scores in the country.

“We’ll also deliver all this investment while keeping our part of bills low, which we know is absolutely essential given the current cost of living crisis. When you pay your electricity bill to your chosen supplier, around £100 a year – that’s less than 30p a day – comes to Electricity North West to enable this investment. We spoke to more than 18,000 customers and stakeholders to develop this plan and we know that it will deliver fantastic value for the region.

“We’ll continue to develop and deliver our cutting-edge engineering innovations, CLASS, SmartStreet and LineSight that will keep the network reliable, efficient and safe.

“As the network operator, it’s our job to make sure everyone living and working in the North West can continue to depend on the network, just as they do now. After more than three years of planning and preparing, we’re excited to get the shovels in the ground and put the plans into action.”