GUEST COLUMN:
Chris Williams
Commissioner
Electrify Britain
Electrification is no longer a distant ambition, it’s a necessity. Across the UK, and especially here in Wales, we are entering a decisive moment in our journey to net zero.
The Climate Change Committee has made it abundantly clear: electrification will be the backbone of our decarbonisation efforts.
This isn’t just about electric vehicles on our roads, although that’s a big part of it. It’s about heat pumps in homes, electric-powered industrial processes, and the transition of commercial operations to cleaner, more efficient energy sources. Alongside electrification, many of our most energy-intensive industries are exploring hydrogen and carbon capture and storage (CCS), both of which are vital in sectors where high temperatures or direct emissions are hard to avoid.
But all three of these technologies, electrification, hydrogen, and CCS, depend on one thing – access to vast amounts of electricity. And this is where we hit a major barrier.
Right now, commercial and industrial operators across Wales are asking a simple but urgent question – how will we get the electricity we need to decarbonise? Whether you're running a steelworks, a chemical plant, a cement works or a data centre, the issue is the same. They want to electrify. They want to decarbonise. But the infrastructure isn’t ready.
The electricity grid, the hidden backbone of our energy system is under strain. Its current capacity and configuration are not fit for the scale and speed of change required. And unless we accelerate investment and reform, we risk holding back the industries that are ready to lead the transition.
In Wales, we have a particular opportunity and responsibility to act.
Our geography and natural resources position us to be a leader in clean energy, from offshore wind in the Celtic Sea to onshore renewables and new storage technologies. But that potential means little if the electricity generated can’t be delivered where it’s needed most.
Accelerating grid development must now be a national priority. That means strategic planning, faster connections, and a joined-up approach between government, regulators, industry, and communities. It means recognising the grid not as a constraint, but as an enabler of economic growth, clean energy jobs, and a just transition.
Wales has the ambition. We have the innovation. But without a modernised, future-proofed electricity grid, we won’t reach net zero and we won’t unlock the full potential of the green industrial revolution.
