BEAMA has launched the Electricity Networks Infrastructure Services Group to represent firms delivering UK power grid infrastructure. Chaired by United Infrastructure, the group brings together founding members United Infrastructure, Balfour Beatty and M Group across civil engineering, construction, design, specification and wider services. Its creation follows the publication of the Electricity Networks Sector Growth Plan, which sets out £181bn of electricity network investment in Great Britain by 2035. The plan identifies support for more than 210,000 jobs and £58bn for the UK economy, while the new group will focus on workforce development and supply chain investment.

A Voice For Delivery Firms

The ENI Services Group gives infrastructure delivery companies a route into the Electricity Networks Growth Partnership, established by BEAMA and the Energy Networks Association to implement the Sector Growth Plan. It places services firms alongside suppliers of power grid systems and solutions already represented through BEAMA’s existing ENI sector.

Member companies provide services ranging from specification and design to construction for electricity network operators. Their work also reaches growing markets including new housing, electric transport, data centres, renewable power and battery storage, linking electricity network delivery to a broad range of UK infrastructure activity.

The group will work with the supply chain, network operators, government and Ofgem on actions set out in the plan. Procurement, policy and regulation are among the areas identified as important to giving businesses clearer visibility of future work and the confidence to invest.

Griff Thomas, Executive Director of Energy Transition at United Infrastructure, and Chair of the ENI Services Group, said:

“A contractor’s perspective is critical if the UK is to deliver this infrastructure as efficiently as possible. By bringing leading delivery partners together, we will have a single voice on policy and regulation, so we can shape it rather than just be on the receiving end of it.”

Skills For Network Expansion

Workforce capacity is a central priority for the new group. The Sector Growth Plan estimates that the industry will need to attract, recruit, train and retain 71,000 people for direct roles by 2035, creating a substantial demand for skills across infrastructure delivery.

The group will work with BEAMA members through the Partnership to help develop a national training programme. It also plans to inform procurement rules and industry standards intended to support faster delivery and control costs as investment in electricity networks accelerates.

Tony Wilson, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty’s Power Transmission and Distribution business, said:

“The scale of investment required to upgrade the UK’s electricity network represents a significant opportunity for our industry, but delivering it will require close collaboration across the entire supply chain. Through BEAMA’s new Electricity Networks Infrastructure Services Group, we can bring together the experience of those delivering this critical infrastructure to help tackle some of the key challenges facing the sector, from developing the skilled workforce we need to creating greater certainty and visibility across the pipeline. By working collectively, we can help build the capacity and capability needed to deliver the UK’s future energy infrastructure.”

Building Sector Capacity

M Group’s participation reflects the group’s intention to bring delivery organisations together under one representative structure. The focus extends beyond recruitment to the long-term careers and capacity required to deliver electricity network infrastructure over the coming decade.

Andy Smith, Managing Director, Distribution and EV, at M Group, said:

“The growth in the electricity networks sector not only brings a shared challenge but also a fantastic opportunity to create and shape lifelong careers in an exciting industry, including for many young people looking to make that first step. This is the first time we have had the opportunity to bring together infrastructure delivery organisations under a single banner to support the electricity network sector at a time of significant investment. We are delighted to be a founding member of this group and take our opportunity to shape how the industry tackles the growth in skills needed, as well as other shared challenges. I would love to see other organisations in this sector join the group and contribute to its success.”

A Broader Industry Role

BEAMA’s expanded group recognises that delivery services will be integral to converting network investment plans into completed infrastructure. By combining manufacturers, systems designers and delivery companies within the wider Partnership, the organisation aims to strengthen coordination across the electricity network supply chain.

Yselkla Farmer, CEO of BEAMA, said:

“This is the largest electricity network upgrade in a generation, and the scale is unprecedented. With the launch of the Electricity Networks Sector Growth Plan, we now embark on an ambitious programme of work that requires decisive action and collaboration. Bringing together the full supply chain, from manufacturing and systems design to services and delivery, is essential.”

Supporting Investment And Delivery

The ENI Services Group arrives as the electricity network sector prepares for major investment through to 2035. Its members will use the group to contribute delivery experience to discussions on skills, standards, regulation and procurement, while inviting further infrastructure services firms to participate.

The immediate test will be whether closer coordination gives suppliers and contractors the certainty needed to recruit, train and invest. With the Sector Growth Plan setting a national direction for network growth, the group provides a dedicated forum for the companies responsible for designing and building much of that infrastructure.