Personalise the changes we need to make to bring the sceptical with you – National Grid

The Head of Future Markets for National Grid has reiterated that the Grid can cope with an electrified vehicle fleet.

Speaking about preparing the Grid for transport decarbonisation at the inaugural Transport + Energy Forum, Graeme Cooper said that we need to engage everyone with decarbonisation to make significant changes.

“Instead of demonising people, we need to personalise things,” he explained. “I don’t talk about climate change or decarbonisation, I talk about air quality. If you want to engage with people, don’t say climate change… talk about clean air. We need to make it personal about people.”

He discussed how the cost of that sickness is £200 million per year. “Imagine what we could do with that money for climate change,” he said.

He then moved onto security of supply, saying that the British Energy Security Strategy is more than the immediate energy crisis but now we don’t make things, we are an investment hub with banking and call centres, and that we have the best renewables in Europe thanks to being an island with lots of windy sea. “The cheapest energy that we will have as a country comes from renewables, and it’s home-grown,” he said.

Moving onto economic recovery, he discussed A Level economics in which it says when in recession you should invest in infrastructure. It puts money into the economy now but gives a long term return. “We’re spending £17 billion over the next seven years, which is more than the last 32,” he said. “That’s funding clean energy and clean transport.”

“There is so much to do, that we can’t do this alone,” he concluded. “The step change that’s needed means I can ask you for help. In that collaboration space, if you don’t ask for it, you won’t get it. Government will only intervene when there is a proven market failing. You can’t wait for someone else to prove that failing.”