# Create Great British Grid

> “Today I can announce our plan for Great British Grid. A new branch of Great British Energy. A publicly-owned company that will challenge the private sector operators. It will increase competition, drive down costs and speed up connections so businesses can expand and grow more quickly.”
>
> — Andy Burnham, Prime Minister, Labour Party; Leader's speech, Labour Party Conference 2026, 29 September 2026

- **Status:** Promised
- **Status ladder:** Promised → In plan → Legislated → Funded → Delivering → Delivered
- **Policy area:** [Transport & economy](https://ledgergov.uk/promises/area/transport-and-economy)
- **Speaker:** [Andy Burnham](https://ledgergov.uk/actor/andy-burnham), Prime Minister
- **Party:** [Labour Party](https://ledgergov.uk/actor/labour)
- **Made on:** 29 September 2026
- **Where:** Leader's speech, Labour Party Conference 2026
- **Cost a year:** No costing published
- **Who it affects:** Households and businesses waiting to connect to the electricity grid, and the private network operators Great British Grid would compete with
- **When:** Not stated
- **Paid for by:** Start-up costs from Great British Energy's existing budgets; the long-term budget to be considered at a future spending review
- **Quote source:** https://labour.org.uk/updates/stories/andy-burnhams-speech-to-labour-party-conference-2026/ (checked word for word at its source on 20 October 2026; Quoted for reporting; rights stay with the publisher)
- **Last updated:** 20 October 2026
- **Card:** https://ledgergov.uk/promise/uk-great-british-grid-2026

## Where it stands

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero announced Great British Grid the same day: a new publicly owned body within Great British Energy that will invest public money, alongside private investment, in electricity network infrastructure. Its start-up costs come from Great British Energy's existing budgets; the long-term budget is to be considered at a future spending review. No date is given for setting it up. The card moves when Great British Grid is set up or given a budget of its own.

## Timeline

- 29 September 2026, Promised: The Prime Minister announces Great British Grid, a publicly owned branch of Great British Energy, at Labour's conference

## About the cost

No figure. The start-up costs are covered by Great British Energy's existing budgets, and the long-term budget is to be considered at a future spending review, so no yearly figure is shown.

Costing sources:
- [Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Great British Energy, 29 Sep 2026: Great British Grid to speed up connections and cut bills](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/great-british-grid-to-speed-up-connections-and-cut-bills)

## Sources

- [Labour Party: Andy Burnham's speech to Labour Party Conference 2026 (29 Sep 2026)](https://labour.org.uk/updates/stories/andy-burnhams-speech-to-labour-party-conference-2026/)
- [Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Great British Energy, 29 Sep 2026: Great British Grid to speed up connections and cut bills](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/great-british-grid-to-speed-up-connections-and-cut-bills)

## Checks

- Checked automatically by AI Journalist, not yet verified by an editor.
- Checked by AI Journalist (automated) on 20 October 2026.

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