Members of the National Engineering Policy Centre Working Groups on Net Zero and Decarbonising Electricity have commented on the new report on Electricity distribution networks: Creating capacity for the future from the National Infrastructure Commission.
Professor Nilay Shah OBE FREng CEng FIChemE, Deputy Chair of the National Engineering Policy Centre Working Group on Net Zero, says:
“As a national mission and as a vital part of a future net zero energy system, the task to deliver clean power remains a significant undertaking shared by the engineering profession, the government and wider community. The National Infrastructure Commission’s report provides valuable analysis to tackle the distribution network challenges that we collectively need to overcome for this mission to be a success, including crucial technical aspects such as digitalisation.
It’s increasingly clear that decarbonising the GB electricity system will also require a huge boost to the engineering workforce, with an estimated 200,000 more engineers and technicians needed in the energy sector by 2030. The report published today further highlights the skills deficits that the National Engineering Policy Centre’s own analysis identified and called for a UK-wide engineering workforce strategy to address, both in the short term and beyond 2030.”
Dr David Wright FREng FIET MIGEM, Member of the National Engineering Policy Centre Working Group on decarbonising electricity, says:
“Distribution will play a critical role in ensuring the delivery of clean power as well as readying the GB electricity system for the coming expansion in low carbon technologies such as electric vehicles and heat pumps. We welcome the National Infrastructure Commission’s focus on the importance of proactive investment in the distribution network ahead of demand and the shifts in price control regulation that this will require, which the National Engineering Policy Centre also called for in its report on Rapid decarbonisation of the GB electricity system last year. We are also pleased to see the report’s findings on the potential size of the prize for flexibility in the electricity system. Achieving and enabling the level of flexibility required to deliver clean power by 2030 will require an expanded and reinforced distribution network to realise its full value.”
Notes for editors
- The National Engineering Policy Centre brings engineering thinking to the heart of policymaking, creating positive impacts for society. We are a partnership of 42 professional engineering organisations that cover the breadth and depth of our profession, led by the Royal Academy of Engineering. Together we provide insights, advice, and practical policy recommendations on complex national and global challenges.