National Energy System Operator (NESO)

Stories

Western Isles begin first electricity link to the mainland

Assessed and approved the need for the link

Work began on the Lewis Hub near Stornoway on 6 November, the converter station that will link the Western Isles to the mainland grid for the first time. The link can carry up to 1.8 gigawatts, far more than the islands' existing network could absorb.

Updated 2 days ago

UK government creates Great British Grid to speed up transmission build-out

Rule Changes

Remains operator, planner, and coordinator of the electricity system

Britain's electricity grid must roughly double in capacity this decade to connect offshore wind, data centers, and heat pumps. In late September 2026, Prime Minister Andy Burnham created Great British Grid (GBG), a publicly owned company inside Great British Energy. It will compete with the big network owners to build and own new transmission lines.

Updated Oct 18