Jersey Electric (JE) plans to spend £120m in the largest ever upgrade to the island’s electricity network to ensure that every home and business continues to access affordable, sustainable energy.

The money will be invested over the next five years to ensure the electricity network has the reach and capacity to support an all-electric future.

JE already has a continued programme of investment in its electricity network and assets. Called the Big Upgrade, this latest plan is over and above this ongoing activity, reflecting the extra investment that is required to meet the expected additional use of electricity – circa 25% increase in overall peak demand – that an all-electric future will demand.

Usually, JE lays around seven kilometres of cables annually. As part of the Big Upgrade, this figure will more than double to create additional capacity on the network as well as upgrading around 10% of the existing low voltage network to enable 20,000 customers to switch to electricity as fossil fuel heating systems are phased out in line with the government’s carbon neutral roadmap (CNR).

JE (www.jec.co.uk) will be leveraging technology innovations to direct its investment, with data from smart meters that are fitted in every home and business giving insight into energy usage and a digital twin of the island’s electricity network showing where demand is under pressure or there is capacity. This will help schedule where work is most needed.

“The Big Upgrade brings together crucial investment in our electricity infrastructure, the most significant investment the company has made in several years,” said Mark Preece, JE chief operating officer. “The Big Upgrade sets out a clear plan to secure a sustainable, all-electric future for customers and businesses. Over the coming years, we expect to see continued transformation in how we use electricity as a society. From the base of a sustainable, secure, future-proofed electricity network, we can be certain that our island can continue to prosper.”

He said customers could expect to see JE and its partners around the island delivering this essential upgrade.

“Although some works will be less visible than others, we understand that roadworks can cause frustrations to islanders,” he said. “We hope everyone can bear with us over the coming years as we deliver the Big Upgrade and continue to power our island long into the future.” 

The upgrade will also play a role in ensuring the electricity infrastructure is in place to deliver the government’s CNR commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050.