Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of grid capacity required for electrification to deliver net zero by 2050.

As we move towards Net Zero in 2050, an increase in electricity demand is anticipated, in part due to the electrification of transport and heat. The electricity system will need increased generation capacity to meet higher peak demand and, ensure security of supply. National Grid Electricity System Operator, in their 2020 Future Energy Scenarios (FES)[1], estimate that peak demand will increase from 59GW in 2019 to 76 – 96GW by 2050. In order to meet this peak demand, they estimate that total installed generation capacity will have to increase from 112GW in 2019, to 224 – 334GW in 2050[2].

These changes will also require upgrades to grid capacity. Electricity networks are regulated by the independent regulator, Ofgem, through the price control, which provides the framework for network investment. Ofgem is working to set the next price control to enable investment for Net Zero.

[1] https://www.nationalgrideso.com/future-energy/future-energy-scenarios/fes-2020-documents

[2] Total installed capacity and total storage capaicty including vehicle-to-grid. Includes all network connected generation.