Following the Prime Minister's speech, David Smith, Energy Networks Association Chief Executive, said:
“We welcome the Prime Minister’s ambition to drive a sustainable economic revival and his commitment to a ‘New Deal’ national infrastructure plan. Our members are the very “industries and infrastructure that can turn the tide on climate change” which he previously described when setting out his ambitions for the green recovery, and they are foundational to almost every aspect of this transition.
"The energy networks will provide the ‘smart’ backbone to the national uptake of electric vehicles, a fully flexible energy system, the shift to a hydrogen economy and the decarbonisation of heavy industry. They are also uniquely placed to develop these projects and deploy investment almost immediately, increasing employment opportunities in traditional and future-facing jobs, if the right investment frameworks are in place.
"Speed is of the essence in our fights against Coronavirus and climate change, and it’s a speed which the energy networks stand poised with, ready for action on net zero whilst ensuring energy customers enjoy a fairer, greener future.”
About us
Energy Networks Association (ENA) is the industry body representing the energy networks. Our members include every major electricity network operator in the UK. The electricity networks are at the heart of the energy transition. They directly employ more than 26,000 people in the UK, including 1,500 apprentices. They are spending and investing £33bn in our electricity grids over the coming years, to ensure safe, reliable and secure energy supplies for the millions of homes and businesses reliant on power every day.
Press contacts
You can contact ENA's press office by emailing press@energynetworks.org. For urgent or out-of-hours enquiries from journalists, please call 0204 599 7691.