As energy markets exhale in response to President Trump’s tentative peace plan, senior figures in the energy sector call on governments to prioritise electricity grids as a way to bolster energy security and protect consumers.
The Green Grids Initiative is launching a 10 point plan to optimise electricity grids at London Climate Action Week. The plan has been endorsed by key players including IRENA, the Energy Transition Commission, Carbon Trust, Utilities for Net Zero, NESO, Global Renewables Alliance and Consumers International.
This new plan outlines 10 immediate steps governments can take to increase the ability of the existing grid to carry more power that will allow nations to use more domestic renewable energy. While no country can fully escape global fossil‑fuel shocks, those with strong renewable generation have been better insulated.
The most recent crisis has again exposed the limitations of using limited fiscal space to subsidise expensive oil and gas. The report argues it’s time for an alternative approach that prioritises action on grids. This should include: updating how much power can flow along wires, upgrading wires, enhanced use of batteries and storage, and making energy demand more flexible.
These approaches can be achieved with subsidies and policy changes to deliver real results in unlocking extra capacity on the grid. Countries that have adopted grid‑optimisation measures are seeing immediate benefits:
GGI’s report, Responding to Energy Price Shocks Through Grid Optimisation: A ten‑point plan to strengthen energy security and protect consumers, is available on request and will be published on its website at 8am BST on 23 June 2026.
Media contact: Marcus Stewart marcuss@green-grids.org / 07799 343664
“In times of crisis we need to pull together to solve them. This report shows how experts across the international community can work together to get the right knowledge and experience out there to benefit everyone. This 10 point plan provides a set of tried and tested solutions that can unlock the potential of grids to deliver reliable and clean power to consumers.”
“The case for shifting our economies and energy systems is clearer than ever, with climate impacts intensifying and fossil fuel volatility driving economic instability and higher costs for households and businesses alike. Electrification, renewables, and grids are central to this shift, strengthening energy security and economic resilience. Grids are vital to that effort, and unlocking more capacity from what already exists, as well as building for the future, can help countries respond to energy shocks while accelerating the shift away from fossil fuels.”
“IRENA fully supports the 10 point grid plan. Without modern, resilient and interconnected grids, clean electricity cannot reach homes, businesses and industries. As countries accelerate renewables, grids must become the backbone of the transition. Building those grids represents one of the greatest infrastructure transformations in modern history and requires a fundamental shift in investment priorities. IRENA estimates USD 5.5 trillion must be invested in grids and flexibility between now and 2030.
At a time of geopolitical uncertainty and fossil-volatility, resilient power systems anchored by renewables and modern grids offer not only a pathway to climate stability, but also greater energy security and competitiveness. Either we optimise our grids today, or we risk slowing the entire energy transition tomorrow.”
"It is clear that building out global grid capacity will be a key enabler of the transition to a cleaner and, critically, more secure energy system that is less exposed to price shocks. At the same time, as the GGI's plan sets out, it's vital that we get the most from the grids we already have.
Last year, for example, at SSE the action we took in our Transmission business saved consumers almost £300m by thinking differently about how we plan and deliver upgrades to minimise constraints on the system. Equally, in our Distribution business we are leveraging demand side flexibility to optimise our build programme. This approach is enabling us to run the system smarter today while building the expanded and enhanced network needed for tomorrow."
“Global volatility is driving up energy costs in Great Britain. Electrification and domestic clean power can help protect consumers from these shocks, but they depend on maintaining a secure, flexible grid. At NESO, we operate today’s energy system and design tomorrow’s. We are pleased to have supported this report and to highlight the actions we can take to strengthen our grid to help deliver a reliable, affordable and clean energy system for consumers across Great Britain.’’
“This timely report highlights the importance of smarter, more flexible grids in building resilience to fossil fuel turbulence. By enabling renewables and clean energy demand to scale, grids strengthen both energy security and economic resilience. Accelerating renewable energy and electrifying transport, heating and cooling are critical steps to reduce reliance on oil and gas from the Strait of Hormuz”.
“Globally, consumers are calling for an energy system they can trust. Fossil fuel-dominated systems have locked consumers into volatile prices and left them with limited real agency in energy markets. Electrification and renewables can transform this dynamic, with households able to produce, store and sell energy, and consumers having greater control over their energy use and bills. Strong, flexible and smarter grids are part of the solution in delivering a more affordable energy system for consumers.”
“As the prolonged disruption to trade through the Strait of Hormuz graphically illustrates, the countries that import oil and gas leave themselves exposed to precarious supply chains. Electricity grids are often ignored, yet they hold the key to overcoming such energy shocks. Upgrading grids enables countries to maximise homegrown energy sources and consumers to switch in their millions to electric vehicles, heating and cooking”.
