16-05-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
Grid Growth Is Crucial for Rural Wales' Green Future
At Green GEN Cymru, we're in the business of making connections, quite literally. As an Independent Distribution Network Operator (IDNO), we have the ability to propose, build, and operate electricity distribution networks across the UK, up to 132,000 volts. That puts us squarely at the heart of the UK's energy transformation, and nowhere is the need for transformation more urgent than in Wales.
Wales can be a true leader in renewable energy, particularly wind. In Mid Wales, we're working to unlock around three gigawatts of new renewable generation, primarily onshore wind. The geography is perfect, high hills, strong wind, and local support for greener, cleaner power. The problem? The power can't get out so as to allow Wales to reach its green energy potential. .
The real bottleneck lies in the grid. Right now, Wales is largely served by two 400kV transmission corridors, one in the north and one in the south, effectively running along the A55 and M4. That might work well for urban centres and industry along those routes, but it leaves huge areas of the country, particularly Mid Wales, cut off from the wider transmission network.
This is the pinch point we face – incredible renewable energy potential stuck without a route to market.
It's not just about generation either. Electricity flows both ways. As more of our transport, heating and industry moves to electric power, the need for reliable local distribution networks becomes just as critical. In simple terms, people and businesses in Mid Wales need better access to power.
The consequences of grid limitations are being felt already. Take Ceredigion, a rural area with big ambitions for clean transport. The region has electric buses, but no local capacity to charge them. They're being driven to Carmarthenshire to plug in. That's not just inefficient, it's a clear example of how infrastructure isn't keeping pace with ambition.
As a distribution operator, we can help address these local challenges. By extending and strengthening the distribution network into areas like Mid Wales, we can support EV charging hubs, power business expansion, and give communities the energy infrastructure they need to thrive in a net zero future.
We're not doing this alone. In Wales, there are two regional distribution network operators, National Grid Electricity Distribution and Scottish Power Energy Networks everyone needs to work together to deliver for the country. Whether it's large-scale transmission or regional distribution, we all have a shared mission, to build a grid that works for the future.
But the scale of the challenge means we need to move faster and smarter. Wales cannot afford to be left behind as the UK transitions to net zero. Every delayed connection, every stranded project, every missed opportunity to electrify transport or industry, chips away at our collective progress.
If we want to realise the full potential of Wales' renewable resources, create new jobs, and keep our communities competitive, grid growth isn't optional, it's essential.
At Green GEN Cymru, we're committed to being part of the solution. The connections we build today are the foundation for the Wales we all want to see tomorrow, clean, connected, and powered by its own natural strengths.
