£30 MILLION FOR COMMUNITY ENERGY (GBE 17/9/26). £70 BILLION FOR THE GRID.
The Chancellor says Britain remains “unshakably committed to net zero by 2050”, promises faster grid connections and warns that radical change “won’t happen overnight”. But the Government is missing a major opportunity: Britain does not need to depend on the grid for every last unit of energy.
The imbalance in investment is striking. The Government has announced £30 million for community energy, as part of “up to £1b” package, while NAO has outlined £70 billion of investment over five years across UK electricity networks - making it Britain's most expensive antique.
“That is an extraordinary imbalance. Community energy and the grid are not mutually exclusive, but Britain will not achieve a resilient, affordable energy future by concentrating on expanding the network while starving local alternatives of finance.”
Nick Rosen, off-grid expert, founder of off-grid.net and author of OVERCHARGED: How the Grid Took Your Power, argues that the Government should prioritise local generation, energy storage and smaller, flexible power stations alongside essential grid investment.
CHANCELLOR: “Only buy and build new projects when they lower bills and connect to the grid.”
“Why should connection to the grid be a condition? The test should be whether a project delivers affordable, reliable energy. Local generation and storage can supply power close to where it is needed, reducing pressure on the network and dependence on an increasingly expensive centralised system.”
CHANCELLOR: “Build new and faster grid connections through GB Grid and reform the complex web of institutions that govern the system.”
“Reform is welcome, but we should not simply build the same system faster. Hundreds of shovel-ready decentralised energy projects are waiting for finance. Smaller, flexible power stations can be quicker to develop than major infrastructure. The Government should unlock these projects rather than make grid expansion the default answer.”
CHANCELLOR: “It won’t happen overnight.”
“The entire energy system cannot be transformed overnight, but the policy changes needed to accelerate decentralised energy could begin immediately. Projects are ready to proceed; many need finance and a regulatory framework that allows them to move forward. We can start building resilience now rather than waiting years for the grid to catch up.”
Before committing consumers to further spending, the Government must also explain whether its existing infrastructure commitments offer the best value — and how much expensive grid expansion could be avoided through local generation, storage and flexible power.
In OVERCHARGED: How the Grid Took Your Power, Rosen traces how the grid became embedded in everyday life and retained its dominance long after technology emerged to enable greater competition and energy independence.
“Net zero does not have to mean permanent dependence on the grid. Britain needs an energy revolution, not simply a grid expansion programme.”
