Northern Powergrid

Northern Powergrid is responsible for the electricity distribution network that powers everyday life for more than 8 million people across 3.9 million homes and businesses in the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire. The company takes electricity from National Grid's transmission network (which connects the larger power stations) and from smaller generators (e.g. windfarms) that are connected to its network and distributes it via more than 63,000 substations and some 60,000 miles of overhead power lines and underground cables spanning 9,650 square miles. It ensures the electricity customers buy from their chosen energy supplier gets to them safely and if customers’ power supplies ever get interrupted, Northern Powergrid is there to fix it 24/7, 365 days a year. The network operators is regionally focused which means the benefits of its investments are closely concentrated in the communities it serves. As a major business, it works with more than 1,500 UK suppliers, with nearly half located in its operating area. As part of its 2015-23 business plan the company, which employs 2,700 local people, is investing around £3 billion on managing, maintaining and improving its network and delivering major investment programmes that provide essential infrastructure which supports economic development and growth. In an evolving energy industry, it also has a key role in creating and managing future energy systems that increasingly interact with customers and smart and low carbon technologies. The company is innovating and investing today so it’s ready for the demands of tomorrow.