New plans for second electricity cable considered

A second electricity cable into Guernsey via Jersey is being considered in a bid to meet rising demands on the island, a company has said.

Guernsey currently gets about 90% of its electricity from mainland Europe via an underwater interconnector cable.

A project to investigate a second cable directly from France - as well as other options - was approved by the States in 2023.

Guernsey Electricity has now said it is reviewing the possibility of a second connection via Jersey, its annual report showed.

Alan Bates, chief executive officer at GEL, said a second connection was "one of the most important infrastructure decisions for Guernsey's energy future".

He added: "Our focus is on developing a solution that protects security of supply, supports the island's decarbonisation ambitions and delivers value for customers over the long term."

The Jersey option would be in action sooner, while providing the security and extra capacity of the low carbon electricity supply chain from Europe, Guernsey Electricity said in its report for the year ending December 2025.

While the route from France would be "more complex and costly to deliver" it could provide "greater long-term strategic benefits through a fully independent and diverse connection," it added.

The company noted it was preparing "detailed business cases supported by long-term financial modelling and continued engagement with States officials" to obtain necessary States' investment approval.

It also stressed technical work was also continuing, including route engineering and environmental assessments.

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