Partner Insight: The case for electrification is stronger than ever, but grid constraints pose challenges - James Graham, divisional CEO for Digital & Energy Services at Equans UK&I, explains how organisations can build energy resilience today, without waiting for the grid to catch up.
London Climate Action Week 2026 will likely be remembered for three things: a record-breaking national heatwave, concerns regarding rising energy costs driven by the Iran war and yet another round of political upheaval marked by the resignation of the UK's fourth Prime Minister in just four years. This turbulence comes as political calls grow louder to roll back on the UK's decarbonisation agenda, and while some political leaders advocate re-embracing fossil fuels, the financial markets indicate a different direction.
Why electrification will happen
The International Energy Agency's (IEA) World Energy Investment report reveals that in 2025, investment in clean energy was twice that of fossil fuels. This shift is partly driven by more frequent oil and gas supply disruptions amid growing geopolitical instability. For example, at the start of the recent Iran conflict in February 2026, clean energy exchange-traded funds (ETFs) experienced their biggest inflows in five years, indicating strong market confidence in clean energy's long-term prospects.
Reintroducing UK-sourced oil and gas is also no quick fix. Research from the University of Aberdeen highlights the availability of yet unexploited oil reserves but alongside this highlights the difficulty, high costs, and long timelines of fossil fuel extraction projects in the North Sea. Even once produced, oil enters volatile global markets from which the UK cannot isolate itself.
Given this, focusing on oil and gas as a path to energy security seems increasingly misguided, especially as clean power can be deployed much faster. As governments rightly prioritise energy security, a shift towards electrification seems inevitable regardless of political sentiment or policy.
Grid constraints
While the case for accelerating electrification is strong, the transition still faces significant hurdles, notably grid constraints and aging infrastructure. The UK National Grid has limited distribution capacity, complicating the delivery of clean power to homes, businesses, and industries.
For new renewables projects and major industrial energy consumers such as data centres, the UK continues to struggle with long wait times for grid connections. It was recently reported that Tata Steel may have to delay delivery of a new electric arc furnace in South Wales by up to eight months due to delayed grid upgrades needed to provide sufficient electricity capacity for the plant.
These structural constraints are not going to disappear overnight – and although significant investment is being deployed to upgrade the grid the capacity sorely needed to deliver on an electrified UK, the pressing question is whether these improvements will come fast enough to provide confidence and security to support investment in UKPLC and the much needed growth of UK business and industry.
Energy resilience
Given these challenges, UK organisations must ask themselves how to mitigate energy risk effectively. Decentralised solutions provide a key path to improving energy resilience for operations.
Behind-the-meter generation reduces exposure to market spikes: local energy generation through on-site solar photovoltaic (PV) systems combined with battery storage is an established technology providing straightforward way for organisations to enhance their energy security and autonomy. The UK also remains behind some of our European neighbours with untapped shallow geothermal opportunities to help store heat through Acquifer Thermal Energy Storage systems (ATES).
Energy efficiency in consumption, including digitalising and optimising control systems, is another critical demand-side factor. By combining localised generation, storage, and intelligent controls, organisations can significantly improve their energy resilience and secure some control and stability in an ever increasingly uncertain world. Taking this approach creates confidence and enables investment in growth. Fundamentally it ensures that an organisation's core purpose, whether in manufacturing, production or services is not undermined by energy market instability.
At Equans, we support UK businesses, industries, and public services to become resilient and decarbonised through our expertise in digital and energy services. For example, at Leeds' Generating Station Complex, we upgraded decentralised generation assets and digital monitoring systems, securing £3m in annual energy savings for a major hospital and educational institution. At Keele University, Equans installed and now operates solar, wind, and battery storage assets, serving the University's smart energy network.
As the future government shapes energy policies amidst ongoing global conflict and uncertainty, organisations can already embrace existing technologies to secure their own energy resilience.
Find out more about Equans' Carbon Shift solutions enabling organisations to achieve decarbonised & more resilient operations.
James Graham is Divisional CEO for Digital & Energy Services at Equans UK&I.
This article is sponsored by Equans UK&I.
