National Grid increases investment plan but warns of clean energy logjam

Power utility says fundamental reform' of UK's electricity network needed to tackle backlog of projects awaiting connection

National Grid has increased its investment plans to 42bn by 2026 as the backlog of clean energy projects waiting to connect to the UK's power networks continues to grow.

The FTSE 100 monopoly, charged with running most of the UK's power grids and some networks in the US, spent a record 3.5bn in the first half of the financial year as a result of the momentum of green policies on both sides of the Atlantic.