National Grid has unveiled a £12 billion investment plan, dubbed the 'Great Grid Upgrade,' to modernize Britain's transmission network and enable the connection of massive new offshore wind farms in the North Sea.
The plan involves building hundreds of miles of new high-voltage cables and dozens of new substations. It is described as the largest overhaul of the grid since its inception in the 1930s.
"The grid we have was built for coal; the grid we need is built for wind," said the National Grid CEO. "Without this upgrade, the UK's net-zero targets are simply unachievable."
The announcement has sparked local opposition in areas where new pylons are planned, with campaigners calling for more expensive underground or subsea cabling to preserve the landscape.
