The cost of rewiring Great Britain's electricity transmission network through the 2030s has risen sharply since the last major assessment.
New figures from the National Energy System Operator (NESO), published in its Beyond 2030 report, put the bill for network investment beyond 2030 at up to £89bn (US$119bn).
That compares with an original 2024 forecast of around US$75bn – an increase of around 50%.
But why exactly has the price of modernisation shot up so drastically in such a small amount of time?
One factor that NESO highlights is the rollout of low-carbon energy projects under the government's Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, which – though beneficial to the country's net zero ambitions – are costly endeavours.
