ORLANDO, Fla. (June 20, 2022) — The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) today awarded National Grid with the 2022 International Edison Award. Presented annually and selected by a panel of former energy industry executives, the Edison Award is the electric power industry’s highest honor. The award was presented in Orlando, Fla., during EEI 2022, EEI’s annual thought leadership forum.
National Grid received the International Edison Award for its North Sea Link (NSL) project. NSL allows the United Kingdom (UK) and Norway to share renewable energy across the longest subsea electricity interconnector in the world. A joint venture between National Grid and Norwegian TSO Statnett, the €1.6-billion (approximately $1.7 billion USD) project started commercial operations on October 1, 2021, marking a major milestone in the UK’s and Norway’s journeys to net zero. By enabling the trade of renewable energy between the two countries for the first time, NSL will help the UK to avoid an estimated 23 million tons of carbon emissions by 2030, and will provide enough clean electricity to power 1.4 million homes.
“Across the globe, EEI and our member companies are focused on getting the energy we provide as clean as we can as fast as we can, without compromising on the reliability or affordability that are essential to the customers and the communities we serve,” said EEI President Tom Kuhn. “Because of the NSL, multiple countries are able to take the next step toward powering a net-zero economy. I applaud National Grid for its leadership and congratulate them for winning this prestigious award for this engineering marvel.”
“National Grid is honored to receive the prestigious International Edison Award from EEI,” said National Grid CEO John Pettigrew. “North Sea Link is an amazing, world-record setting engineering project. But that’s not what makes it unique. What makes it unique is how it has brought together companies, countries and dedicated and passionate professionals to build a link that will deliver clean, reliable and affordable energy to consumers across the UK and Norway for decades to come."
