National Audit Office report reinforces the case for investing in grid
11 September 2026
A blog by Rob McDonald, Managing Director, SSEN Transmission
The National Audit Office report published today – “Upgrading the electricity transmission network” - provides an important and timely assessment of one of the UK's biggest infrastructure challenges. Its conclusion is clear: investing in the electricity transmission network is essential if we are to deliver energy security, support economic growth across the country, and get costs down for consumers.
For all of us who work every day to upgrade the grid in the north of Scotland, the report confirms what industry, government and regulators have increasingly recognised: the cost of not investing is greater than the cost of getting on with the job and delivering benefits for the communities, industries and businesses we serve.
The report highlights that while of course there are costs associated with building and maintaining the grid, consumers will be better off overall because upgraded networks reduce the need for expensive constraint payments and help reduce the price of electricity through the clean, homegrown power that reduces the country’s dependence on expensive global gas markets. The report confirms the grid upgrades planned for 2030 will help reduce a typical household bill by around £30 than it would otherwise be.
Today's transmission network was not designed for the clean energy system we are building. A system which the country’s economic growth opportunities rely on. Increasing volumes of renewable electricity are being generated in parts of the country with the best natural resources, often far from where demand is greatest. Without the necessary network capacity, system operators are forced to manage congestion on the grid through constraint payments. The NAO concludes that these costs could rise significantly if network upgrades are delayed.
SSEN Transmission is already demonstrating the benefits of strategic grid investment. Last year alone, upgrades to our network in the north of Scotland helped reduce grid constraint costs by almost £300 million, delivering tangible savings for consumers while enabling more renewable generation to connect to the system.
Across our Pathway to 2030 programme, around three-quarters of the planning consents required to deliver these vital network upgrades have now been secured. Five of our 11 major strategic projects are already in delivery stage, and we have worked hard over a number of years to secure the supply chain partnerships needed to deliver our unprecedented £29bn programme of investment.
However, the report also underlines an issue that remains critical to success: the need for timely planning and consenting decisions.
Infrastructure of this scale inevitably requires rigorous scrutiny, but decision-making processes must keep pace with the strategic importance of these projects.
The National Audit Office report provides another compelling reminder that the benefits of upgrading our electricity network are clear. The priority now is maintaining momentum, securing timely consent decisions, and continuing to deliver the infrastructure that will power the future.