National Grid to build thousands of new electricity pylons and miles of new cables to connect to wind farms in £30bn as part of net zero plan
Thousands more electricity pylons will be built across Britain as the National Grid ‘rewires the nation’ for net zero.
The company will spend more than £30billion to overhaul the network to prepare for the switch to green energy.
Thousands of miles of new cables will be constructed by 2030 to connect wind farms and power stations to towns and cities to meet soaring demand for electricity.
Net zero is set to be a key battleground ahead of this summer’s General Election.
Labour wants to decarbonise by 2030, while Rishi Sunak has argued that too fast a shift risks driving up energy bills.
Demand is expected to rise by 50 per cent by 2035 as households switch to electric cars and heat pumps.
Thousands more electricity pylons will be built across Britain as the National Grid ‘rewires the nation’ for net zero
Rishi Sunak (pictured) has argued that too fast a shift towards net-zero risks driving up energy bills
Chief executive John Pettigrew (pictured) said: ‘Governments and regulators are moving with increased urgency to attract the levels of investment required to meet their net zero ambitions'
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National Grid already owns and operates around 21,000 electricity pylons across England and Wales, as well as 4,500 miles of overhead power lines — which is enough to stretch from London to Miami.
The company will raise £7 billion from shareholders to help fund the plan.
The public will also contribute, as a portion of household energy bills goes to National Grid.
Chief executive John Pettigrew said: ‘Governments and regulators are moving with increased urgency to attract the levels of investment required to meet their net zero ambitions.’
A further £30 billion will be pumped into the US where National Grid owns infrastructure.