News

On 19 May Peter Taylor and Rob Gross from the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC), together with representatives from the Aldersgate Group, met with the Energy Minister, Michael Shanks MP to discuss the findings of a recent joint policy brief on Electrifying Industry and Distribution Networks.

The policy brief drew on the findings from a recent journal paper by Ahmed Gailani and Peter Taylor, which provides the first quantification of electricity network capacity requirements in Great Britain needed to support industrial decarbonisation. The brief calls on the government to ensure that electricity networks are strengthened according to new demands, and anticipatory investment is enabled to support industrial decarbonisation. It also recommends that policymakers provide clarity on plans for industrial electrification, while strengthening data on future industrial electricity demand to create an accurate picture of future needs.

The meeting explored these findings with Mr Shanks and his officials and discussed how Government could best take forward the recommendations. The meeting has led to an ongoing dialogue between UKERC researchers and the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero on the subject of industrial decarbonisation, particularly regarding data gaps and how these can be addressed.