Northern Ireland’s electricity network will receive a £3bn upgrade in the next 10 years. The investment made by NIE Networks aims at facilitating climate change targets and should create more than 1,000 jobs between now and 2032.
According to the NIE, the upgrade would help its 910,000 customers connect to low-carbon technologies like electric cars, solar panels and heat pumps in an attempt to meet the target of net zero emissions in Northern Ireland by 2050. According to the Centre of Advanced Sustainable Energy (Case), the investment would also go a long way to enabling NI to meet the target of 80% of electricity coming from renewable sources by 2030 which, in turn, could ease the pressure on energy bills.
However, the upgrade will cost an additional £10 to £20 a year for NIE customers. “It is important to be transparent with our customers,” said NIE Networks Managing Director Derek Hynes. “It is critical we invest now to avoid higher costs in the future”.
