I am pleased to share a new paper by Alan Whitehead CBE, my friend and predecessor. He is a longstanding champion for clean energy, and as an MP, he was most recently the Shadow Energy Minister in DESNZ. His paper, Energy Independence for Southampton, outlines both the challenges and exciting opportunities we have to secure clean, reliable energy for our city. You can read Alan’s full paper, Energy Independence for Southampton, below.
Alan highlights that Southampton is facing an energy emergency. Research from the University of Southampton shows that by 2026, the city’s electricity substations could reach full capacity, particularly around the docks and city centre; this demands urgent action.
Alan presents several solutions to this problem, including bringing a new high-voltage cable from the National Grid’s Nursling substation directly into the city centre. This would take the pressure off our existing substations, keep the port and new developments powered up, and make sure Southampton’s energy network is ready for the future.