JERSEY’S electricity grid will be able to cope with the additional demand created by the Island’s net-zero targets by the end of this decade, according to Jersey Electricity.
The company is investing £120 million in its five-year “Big Update”, which began in 2024 and will add 50 megawatts of capacity to the network.
The programme includes building 20 substations and laying 100km of cable as Jersey increasingly electrifies heating, transport and cooking.
These changes are expected to increase demand for electricity by 25%.
Mark Preece, chief operating officer of Jersey Electricity, said: “It’s important that we make sure that the grid is ready before the demand actually increases.”
Since the Big Update began, the company has upgraded nearly 15km of its low-voltage network, which supplies households and most businesses.
Mr Preece said the programme was “around 15% to 20% of the way through” and remained “on track” for completion by “the end of this decade”.
Jersey Electricity said new digital tools had enabled it to carry out 50% more network planning without increasing costs.
Mr Preece added that the company could make improvements more quickly because it controls both the Island’s electricity infrastructure and the service provided to customers.
He explained: “We have 100% smart meters rolled out across the Island, and that gives us good information about consumption.
“We know which meters are connected to which parts of the network so we know how loaded those networks are.
“And we also know what proportion of customers already use electricity for heating because of those specific heating tariffs.”
The data enables Jersey Electricity to create a “Digital Twin” – a virtual model of the Island’s electricity network – to identify where improvements are needed and assess their potential impact.
One of the clearest examples of pressure on the grid is in Gorey, where the existing infrastructure is at full capacity.
Plans for a substation near the promenade were rejected by residents concerned about its impact on the surrounding area.
St Martin Constable Karen Shenton Stone said the parish “recognises there’s a huge need” for additional electricity capacity because the current constraints are limiting development.
She said a new site had been chosen but declined to reveal its location.
Mr Preece added: “That’s under review at the moment. We haven’t got a solution today, but we are reviewing that.”
The Big Update will conclude with the replacement of the Normandie 2 cable, which supplies French-generated electricity to Jersey. Installed in 2000, the cable is due to begin being replaced in 2028.
