Britain fast-tracks £4 billion investment to expand electricity networks 

Britain’s high-voltage transmission network will be expanded quicker, thanks to Ofgem agreeing to accelerate £4bn of investment to build out the electricity grid.

The regulator’s new Advanced Procurement Mechanism (APM) will enable Britain’s three transmission owners (TOs) to tackle supply chain constraints in procuring essential equipment, materials and services years in advance.

This streamlined process will ensure signed-off projects are ready to break ground as soon as planning approval is granted, allowing TOs to avoid delays, control costs and attract international investment in the drive to clean power by 2030.

Britain’s three TOs, National Grid ET, SSEN Transmission and SP Energy Networks are responsible for owning and maintaining the national high voltage electricity network.

Ofgem has agreed the £4bn of ‘use it or lose it’ capital allowances ahead of and over the next price control period 2026 to 2031 – with the regulator able to reopen the settlement if market circumstances changed. There are 80 transmission projects required to achieve clean power by 2030.

This first-of-its kind mechanism reflects Ofgem’s commitment to the government’s statutory growth duty. This compels regulators to tear down barriers to promote growth and innovation – and the concept could be extended in the future to support other areas of transmission infrastructure.

Akshay Kaul, Ofgem Director-General, Infrastructure said:

“Building a modern, clean and secure energy system is the key to ending our reliance on international gas markets responsible for volatile prices, so we must do everything we can to clear the way for trailblazing projects to move forward.

“The Advanced Procurement Mechanism is an innovative model that could be extended in the future to develop other areas of the energy sector and possibly mirrored by other regulatory bodies supporting the delivery of national infrastructure.

“It’s a significant step on the accelerator as we drive towards net zero and we are committed to working with government, GB Energy and the National Wealth Fund to maximize the economic opportunities of infrastructure investment.

“Across the world many countries are stepping up their investment in clean energy at the same time, putting unprecedented pressure on the supply chain as growing demand for essential materials forces up prices and lengthens delivery times.

“This is why it’s vital that we help the electricity transmission owners move quickly, procuring at scale as early as possible to reduce financial risk – and show the global supply chain that Britain is committed to investing in its energy networks.”

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said:

“This fast-track measure means we can quickly get Britain building the infrastructure we need to deliver clean power by 2030 and an energy system that can bring down bills for households and businesses for good.

“Giving developers a head start in the global race to secure essential materials and equipment will help to avoid delays by putting shovels in the ground as soon as clean power projects secure planning permission, and protect billpayers by keeping costs down.

“This builds on our work to reform our broken planning system to speed up renewable energy projects like wind farms, and to overhaul the grid connections queue to connect clean power projects quicker.”

The APM balances acceleration with accountability to ensure that companies operating within Ofgem’s strict financial framework are delivering projects on time and at the best value to customers.

Its advantages include:

·      reduced risk of costly supply chain delays as global demand for vital infrastructure materials increases

·      lowering or controlling build costs by purchasing materials in advance, as supply and demand steadily raises prices year on year

·      driving inward investment in domestic supply chains, as pledged in the government’s 2030 Action Plan

·      accelerated project delivery which will help government achieve clean power by 2030, and subsequent net zero targets after that

APM chimes with independent advice provided to government last November by NESO which called for a step change across the energy sector to achieve clean power by 2030.

To protect consumers the regulator is clear in its governance rules to ensure that the APM is used only for the intended purposes and any unused funding will be returned to consumers.

To minimise the risk of stranded procurement (pre-ordered equipment for projects that do not progress), Ofgem will ensure that only equipment that is transferable between many different projects is eligible for APM funding. More bespoke procurement will be considered on a case-by-case basis to assess the benefit and risk.

BACKGROUND

The final decision on the Advanced Procurement Mechanism (APM) is published here with response to the APM consultation is here. Ofgem is also publishing a statutory consultation to modify the special licence conditions to implement the APM decision.

The APM decision is ahead of final decisions on investment and price controls settlement for the three TOs from 1st April 2026 to 31st March 2031. The final decision on the RIIO-3 framework is due by the end of 2026

Ofgem is consulting on the final model to accelerate renewable power farms and electricity storage connecting to transmission network. The provisional decision was published in February 2025 and the final decision is due in April 2025. 

Ofgem is also considering further reforms to speed up network companies connecting new and power in its ‘end to end’ review of the system.