Moving toward net zero

Working together to meet net zero

Find out more about the UK's journey to a net zero future

Delivering a cleaner, greener future 

The electricity transmission network, which moves energy at scale around the country, will play a vital role in this

The existing network was designed to connect and transport energy from coal, nuclear and gas fired power stations. In many parts of the country those power stations were closely located to the larger centres of population, with power flowing mostly north to south around the country.

With around 60 per cent of all offshore wind developments looking to bring their energy onshore up and down the East Coast, we need to rewire the network for a different low carbon future; one where we deliver offshore energy from the East Coast to the entire UK population.

To achieve this, it will be critical to strike the right balance between the need to connect the growing amount of offshore wind power, the cost to UK consumers and the impact to local communities and the environment. Our aim is to work with stakeholders and the communities who will host this infrastructure to find the best solution, balancing the needs of the UK, the environment and the regions we directly work in.

Government policy

Growth in energy generated from offshore wind is a key part of achieving net zero and the Government’s Energy White Paper sets an ambitious target to deliver 40 GW of offshore wind connected to the network by 2030 – enough to power every home in the UK. Growth in offshore wind also offers significant opportunities for economic growth and job creation. There are up to 60,000 jobs expected to be created in the offshore wind sector alone in this decade. Up to 250,000 jobs are also expected to be created by 2030 across the proposals in the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution.

The Climate Change Committee anticipates that electricity demand will at least double by 2050 as we shift to clean energy to drive electric vehicles, heat our homes and power our industry. The Committee’s Sixth Carbon Budget published in December 2020 recommends deployment of renewables at scale, including 40 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and sustaining that build rate to support deployment up to 140 GW of offshore wind by 2050, raising further opportunity for growth and job creation. By 2050, our own analysis indicates that the energy sector needs to fill around 400,000 jobs to build the net zero energy workforce.

National Grid is supporting these targets. We believe by acting now, the UK can become the world’s first major clean, low-carbon economy, with net zero carbon emissions by 2050, creating growth and jobs for communities across Britain.