Great British Grid: network body a silver lining for stalled development and growth

The launch of a new publicly owned body to accelerate the delivery of electricity network infrastructure across Great Britain could unlock development projects currently constrained by grid capacity, benefitting the wider built environment sector and economy.

Great British Grid (GBG), a branch of Great British Energy, will bring together public and private investment to support critical network infrastructure. It will work alongside existing network operators to accelerate projects, increase competition and support upgrades to the electricity grid⁽¹⁾.

The government also plans to expand self-build connections, allowing developers and businesses to construct their own grid connections where appropriate rather than waiting for network companies to deliver them. Competitive tendering for transmission projects will be sped up too, opening delivery to a wider range of organisations, including GBG.

Karl Horton, data services director at BCIS, welcomed the announcement as an opportunity to address major constraints affecting the built environment and wider economic growth.

‘Great British Grid has the potential to deliver benefits on several fronts,’ he said. ‘Most immediately for construction, greater investment in the grid could expand the pipeline of transmission and network projects, strengthening workloads across civil engineering and electrical engineering supply chains.

‘This is particularly important for an industry that needs confidence and visibility to invest in resources and supply chain capacity.

‘But the potential benefits extend across the wider built environment and economy. Industrial facilities, data centres, major residential schemes, renewable energy projects and other electricity-intensive developments can all face lengthy waits for connections where the existing network lacks sufficient capacity.

‘For developers, owners and operators, that creates uncertainty over when an asset can become operational. In some cases, construction may be delayed; in others, an asset could be completed but unable to operate at its intended capacity until the necessary connection or network reinforcement is delivered.

‘These constraints can have a direct impact on capital costs, programme delivery and the needs of end users. Uneven grid delays can also put some regions at a competitive disadvantage.

‘In short, GBG has the potential to bring forward and make viable a whole range of developments at a time when construction output is subdued and economic growth remains weak.’

Pressure on the grid is expected to intensify as the economy electrifies. Electricity demand in Great Britain is forecast to more than double by 2050, with manufacturing, housing developments and data centres among the key sources of growing demand⁽²⁾.

Alongside investment in physical grid infrastructure, the government is also seeking to address connection delays through its Connections Accelerator Service (CAS). Launched as a pilot in December 2025, CAS brings together government, the National Energy System Operator, Ofgem and network companies to explore earlier connection options for strategically important demand projects.

The service is already supporting projects including data centres, manufacturing facilities, hospitals and prisons though CAS does not guarantee an earlier connection date.

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^{(1) GOV.UK – Great British Grid to speed up connections and cut bills – here}

^{(2) GOV.UK – Accelerating electricity network connections for strategic demand – here}