Enabling the transition to a low carbon economy
We have just published our Annual Transmission Performance Report for 2016/17, at the mid-point of our 2013-2021 Business Plan for the RIIO-T1 price control period. This report provides an overview of our progress to date and sets out our forecasts for the remaining four years to 31 March 2021.
The numbers are stark and highlight the transformation of the electricity industry in the north of Scotland:
- Since 2013, the volume of generation connected to our network in the north of Scotland has grown significantly, from 3.7 GW to 5.1 GW, and is expected to grow to over 6GW by the end of the decade;
- Over 90% of this is clean renewable electricity - enough green energy to power over 4 million homes - contributing considerably to the UK’s transition to a low carbon economy;
- To enable these connections, we forecast our total expenditure from 2013-2021 will be over £3 billion, which includes significant investment on the maintenance of our existing assets;
- We are deploying GB firsts for innovative technology across the network such as our flagship HVDC Caithness-Moray link and new types of towers and conductors which have allowed speedier connections for our generation customers; and
- Since 2013 we have had only eight incidents on the network that resulted in customers’ electricity supplies being interrupted, demonstrating the strong reliability our key national infrastructure provides our customers and communities.
Our main strategic driver in transmission for the 2013-2021 RIIO-T1 price control period is to enable the transition to a low carbon economy. We are delivering on that, whilst at the same time maintaining our core purpose: to provide the energy that people need in a reliable and sustainable way.
To read more about our achievements in Transmission have a look at our Annual Report.