Prime Minister Andy Burnham will unveil a new publicly owned body called Great British Grid (GB Grid) on Tuesday, marking the first direct state entry into electricity network management since the privatizations of the 1980s. The announcement, scheduled during his first Labour Party conference speech as leader in Liverpool, seeks to dismantle the infrastructure bottlenecks that have delayed major energy projects for years.
Operating as a subsidiary under the Great British Energy umbrella, GB Grid will utilize the parent organization’s existing budget rather than seeking fresh taxpayer funding. The body is designed to compete directly with established private sector firms, such as National Grid, for transmission connection projects. This strategic intervention is intended to accelerate the expansion of the UK’s energy capacity, which Burnham is expected to frame as a necessary reversal of four decades of neoliberal energy policy.
Breaking the Connection Deadlock
A central component of the GB Grid proposal is the introduction of “self-build” rights for businesses. Under this provision, companies currently waiting in connection queues—some of which face delays of a decade or more—will be permitted to construct their own connection infrastructure. GB Grid will offer the option of state co-investment to support these private projects, effectively allowing businesses to bypass network operator backlogs.
The move addresses a primary complaint from industry leaders regarding the slow pace of grid upgrades. By providing a public alternative to private transmission providers, the government aims to create a competitive environment that prioritizes speed and regional economic development over shareholder returns.
The 10-Year Energy Cost Target
The creation of GB Grid is a pillar of a broader 10-year strategy to bring UK energy costs in line with European averages. Currently, UK businesses and households often pay higher premiums for electricity than their continental counterparts, a gap the Prime Minister intends to close through structural reform of the market logic.
While the focus of Tuesday’s speech is centered on infrastructure and industrial strategy, it arrives amid a wider debate over the government’s fiscal priorities. Senior ministers have recently refused to rule out a review of the pensions triple lock, a move reportedly under consideration to free up funding for a proposed national care service. This has led to speculation that the “honest conversation” Burnham intends to lead at the conference will extend beyond energy into a more fundamental reappraisal of state spending.
The establishment of GB Grid represents the most significant shift in UK energy ownership in a generation. By integrating state-owned transmission assets with the existing renewable energy generation goals of Great British Energy, the administration is attempting to create a vertically integrated public energy presence capable of dictating the pace of the net-zero transition.
