Electricity North West submits £2bn power plan

NETWORK operator Electricity North West is submitting plans for investment worth £2.6bn over eight years from 2015.

The Warrington company is sending its blueprint for infrastructure investment to energy regulator Ofgem.

The plans include a £919m investment in the network, £321m to be spent on repairs and maintenance, while £446m is needed to support the network investment and operations, the private equity-owned company said.

Steve Johnson, Electricity North West’s chief executive, said: “We’ve been working closely with our stakeholders on developing this plan for the past two years and I’m confident that it delivers the right balance of investment and prudence.
 
“Business and domestic customers tell us they want a network that is reliable, affordable and sustainable – so that’s exactly what our plan delivers.”
 
With demand for energy rising and consumption inevitably increasing, Mr Johnson says ensuring supply and reducing power cuts by 20% over the next 10 years is a “huge challenge”.

He said: “We all want power at the flick of a switch, so we want to invest to ensure we have the infrastructure to support the region’s people and economic growth as we all use more and more electricity.

“On the other hand, when some in the North West are in fuel poverty and are struggling to afford their bills, we need to work extra hard to keep our costs down as much as we can.”