Cost to rewire Great Britain’s electricity network could reach £90bn in 2030s

Labour promised to make UK a clean energy superpower by 2030, bringing forward by five years previous government’s plan. Photograph: Dave Donaldson/Alamy

The cost of rewiring Great Britain’s electricity networks through the 2030s is now 50% higher than before the Labour government came to power, and could reach almost £90bn in the next decade, according to the energy system operator.

Building new high-voltage transmission lines and infrastructure to connect low-carbon energy to the grid in the 2030s was initially forecast by the energy system operator to cost £58bn.