Winser named UK’s first networks commissioner

A former National Grid chief executive has been appointed to a new role as the government’s electricity networks commissioner.

Nick Winser CBE will be tasked with helping to ensure the right infrastructure to underpin a zero-carbon grid is installed in the right places.

He will be asked to push for a dramatic reduction in the timelines for delivering onshore transmission network infrastructure by around three years and develop recommendations to help halve the end-to-end project process by the mid-2020s.

Winser has spent 30 years in the electricity sector, including 12 at National Grid. He is currently chairman of the Energy Systems Catapult and recently joined the National Infrastructure Commission.

Business and energy secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “I am delighted to appoint Nick Winser as the UK’s first Electricity Networks Commissioner.

“Nick will play a pivotal role in ensuring the right network infrastructure is in the right places to ensure households can benefit from our abundant supply of clean, affordable, home-grown energy.”

Winser said: “Electricity networks are essential to transporting new low carbon power generation, such as that from offshore wind and nuclear, to where it is needed, in homes and businesses across the country, where it will be used more and more for new purposes like charging electric vehicles and heating households through heat pumps.

“I look forward to taking on this important new role where I can help accelerating the delivery of new electricity transmission infrastructure, helping to provide consumers with a secure, reliable, supply of green electricity, while keeping costs as low as possible.”

The appointment came on the day the government introduced its Energy Security Bill, which among other things would equip the competition watchdog with new powers to review electricity and gas network company mergers.