13
September 2024
National
Grid plc
Sale of
Electricity System Operator
National Grid plc ("National Grid")
is pleased to announce that it has reached agreement with HM
Government on the terms of the sale of National Grid's Electricity
System Operator ("ESO") for an enterprise value of £630 million
(the "Transaction"). The final cash consideration will be subject
to customary closing adjustments (including for timing
differences).
The Transaction is an important
milestone for the creation of the independent National Energy
System Operator ("NESO"). National Grid and HM Government expect to
complete the Transaction on 1 October 2024 when HM Government,
together with Ofgem, aim to establish NESO.
Enquiries and contacts
Investors and Analysts:
Angela Broad
+44 (0) 7825 351 918
Tom Edwards
+44 (0) 7976 962 791
Media:
Danielle
Dominey-Kent
+44 (0) 7977 054 575
Notes to Editors
About National Grid
National Grid lies at the heart of a
transforming energy system, spanning the UK and the US. Our
businesses supply gas and electricity, safely, reliably and
efficiently to millions of customers and communities. But we also
drive change through engineering innovation and by incubating new
ideas with the power to revolutionise our industry.
National Grid is pioneering ways to
decarbonise the energy system including delivering The Great Grid
Upgrade - the largest overhaul of the UK grid in generations - and
building the Upstate Upgrade, the largest investment in New York's
electricity transmission network for over a century.
As one of the largest investor-owned
energy companies in the world, National Grid is at the centre of a
clean, fair and affordable energy future, and is one of the FTSE's
largest investors in the energy transition.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT
This announcement contains certain
statements that are neither reported financial results nor other
historical information. These statements are forward-looking
statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended. These statements include information with
respect to National Grid's (the Company) financial condition, its
results of operations and businesses, strategy, plans and
objectives. Words such as 'aims', 'anticipates', 'expects',
'should', 'intends', 'plans', 'believes', 'outlook', 'seeks',
'estimates', 'targets', 'may', 'will', 'continue', 'project' and
similar expressions, as well as statements in the future tense,
identify forward looking statements. This document also references
climate-related targets and climate-related risks which differ from
conventional financial risks in that they are complex, novel and
tend to involve projection over long term scenarios which are
subject to significant uncertainty and change. These
forward-looking statements are not guarantees of National Grid's
future performance and are subject to assumptions, risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual future results to differ
materially from those expressed in or implied by such
forward-looking statements or targets. Many of these assumptions,
risks and uncertainties relate to factors that are beyond National
Grid's ability to control, predict or estimate precisely, such as
changes in laws or regulations and decisions by governmental bodies
or regulators, including those relating to current and upcoming
price controls in the UK and rate cases in the US, as well as the
future of system operation in the UK; the timing of construction
and delivery by third parties of new generation projects requiring
connection; breaches of, or changes in, environmental, climate
change and health and safety laws or regulations, including
breaches or other incidents arising from the potentially harmful
nature of its activities; network failure or interruption, the
inability to carry out critical non-network operations and damage
to infrastructure, due to adverse weather conditions including the
impact of major storms as well as the results of climate change,
due to counterparties being unable to deliver physical commodities;
reliability of and access to IT systems, including or due to the
failure of or unauthorised access to or deliberate breaches of
National Grid's systems and supporting technology; failure to
adequately forecast and respond to disruptions in energy supply;
performance against regulatory targets and standards and against
National Grid's peers with the aim of delivering stakeholder
expectations regarding costs and efficiency savings, as well as
against targets and standards designed to support its role in the
energy transition; and customers and counterparties (including
financial institutions) failing to perform their obligations to the
Company. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those described in this announcement include
fluctuations in exchange rates, interest rates and commodity price
indices; restrictions and conditions (including filing
requirements) in National Grid's borrowing and debt arrangements,
funding costs and access to financing; regulatory requirements for
the Company to maintain financial resources in certain parts of its
business and restrictions on some subsidiaries' transactions such
as paying dividends, lending or levying charges; the delayed timing
of recoveries and payments in National Grid's regulated businesses,
and whether aspects of its activities are contestable; the funding
requirements and performance of National Grid's pension schemes and
other post-retirement benefit schemes; the failure to attract,
develop and retain employees with the necessary competencies,
including leadership and business capabilities, and any significant
disputes arising with National Grid's employees or breaches of laws
or regulations by its employees; the failure to respond to market
developments, including competition for onshore transmission; the
threats and opportunities presented by emerging technology; the
failure by the Company to respond to, or meet its own commitments
as a leader in relation to, climate change development activities
relating to energy transition, including the integration of
distributed energy resources; and the need to grow the Company's
business to deliver its strategy, as well as incorrect or
unforeseen assumptions or conclusions (including unanticipated
costs and liabilities) relating to business development activity,
including the announced sale of certain of its businesses, its
strategic infrastructure projects and joint ventures and the
separation and transfer of the ESO to the public sector. For
further details regarding these and other assumptions, risks and
uncertainties that may impact National Grid, please read the
Strategic Report section and the 'Risk factors' on pages 226 to 231
of National Grid's most recent Annual Report and Accounts. In
addition, new factors emerge from time to time and National Grid
cannot assess the potential impact of any such factor on its
activities or the extent to which any factor, or combination of
factors, may cause actual future results to differ materially from
those contained in any forward-looking statement. Except as may be
required by law or regulation, the Company undertakes no obligation
to update any of its forward-looking statements, which speak only
as of the date of this announcement. This announcement is for
informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to
sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any
securities.