Erika Wilson on BBC Wake Up to Money

Erika Wilson, managing director of Wilson Power Solutions, was a guest on BBC Radio 5 this morning to talk about the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy. Wake Up to Money hosted a panel of industry experts to cover the first reactions to the strategy.

The UK government has launched an ambitious 10‑year Industrial Strategy aimed at tackling critical national challenges, including accelerating skilled job creation, boosting investment, lowering electricity costs, and streamlining access to grid connections. The strategy aspires to support eight sectors (IS-8) that exhibit growth potential.

Relevant to our industry, the government wants to ‘become a Clean Energy manufacturing and innovation superpower, producing the next generation of technologies to support the global transition, and delivering our Clean Energy Superpower Mission’.

Wake Up to Money

In the interview, the opening question to Erika underscores the importance of broadening awareness around how electrical networks function, their key components, and their critical role in enabling the transition to a low-carbon future. Power and distribution transformers step voltages up and down to transmit and distribute energy. They are crucial components of the electrical grid, enabling the efficient and safe transfer of electricity across various stages of the power system.

As the MD of Wilson and the president of BEAMA, Erika Wilson commented on the strategy, saying, “The ten-year industrial plan represents a significant and welcome development for our sector, marking the most substantial collaboration between government and industry to date. It paves the way for a more stable and attractive investment environment. At Wilson Power Solutions, we are particularly encouraged by the emphasis on the transmission and distribution networks, the backbone of electrification. As a transformer manufacturer, our equipment plays a critical role in enabling the connection of renewable energy sources, battery storage systems, and data centres to the grid.”

Commenting on the energy cost reductions and bridging the skill gap, Erika Wilson summarises, “While we may not directly benefit from the proposed energy bill reductions, we commend the strategy’s focus on addressing the industry-wide skills gap, a persistent challenge for us in recent years. We strongly support efforts to attract global talent to the UK, facilitating knowledge transfer and workforce development. We urge the government to prioritise action on this front, as these skills are needed now”.

We would like to see more incentives from the government for investors in UK manufacturing, and we would like to see a continued collaboration with the private sector to deliver this strategy. Erika Wilson said, “In line with these ambitions, we are investing in our manufacturing capabilities both domestically and internationally to remain competitive and secure our supply chain in support of the UK’s decarbonisation agenda. We encourage the government to maintain close dialogue with our industry to ensure the successful delivery of this strategy and to keep us on track toward achieving a clean power system by 2030.”

Link to the BBC Wake Up to Money episode (start at 29:50): https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002dxcj

Erika Wilson BBC Radio 5 - interview Wake Up to Money

Energy Costs

The strategy is designed to slash electricity bills by up to 25%, or approximately £40/MWh for more than 7,000 energy-intensive manufacturers beginning in 2027. Known as the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme, this initiative exempts eligible firms from levies including the Renewables Obligation, Feed‑in Tariffs, and Capacity Market charge. In parallel, the British Industry Supercharger scheme will boost network‑charge discounts for the roughly 500 most energy-intensive businesses, from 60% today to 90% by 2026, supporting key industries like steel, chemicals, ceramics, and glass. Funding for these measures will come from energy system reforms and revenues from linked UK–EU carbon pricing, with no increased burden on household bills or the taxpayer.

Enhancing Skills

The UK’s future competitiveness depends on a strong skills and talent pipeline, from early education to workforce training, that aligns with employer needs and evolving technologies like AI. While the country benefits from world-class universities and a well-educated, globally attractive workforce, challenges persist: declining adult education, apprenticeship participation, and employer training investment.

The government plans to reform the skills and employment support system to establish a robust pipeline into key sectors. Measures include investing in technical education through new technical colleges, expanding apprenticeship and short-course provision (particularly in digital manufacturing and AI), and funding upskilling initiatives. There’s also a push to integrate and streamline existing employment support programmes, ensuring they align with employer needs and local growth strategies.

Complementing these educational investments, the strategy seeks to improve access to talent by facilitating both domestic and international recruitment. This involves simplifying visa systems for skilled workers, promoting mutual recognition of overseas qualifications, and enabling rapid onboarding of talent where shortages exist. The aim is to enable employers, especially in high-growth and frontier technology sectors, to swiftly source and retain the personnel crucial to driving innovation and competitiveness.

Connections Reforms

The strategy recognises that grid connect delays are a barrier to electrification and the delivery of Net Zero. The government and Ofgem are implementing a comprehensive overhaul—known as TMO4+ to streamline the grid connection process, aiming to transform the current first‑come‑first‑served approach into a “first‑ready, first‑connected” system.

The UK government is introducing a Connections Accelerator Service by late 2025 to prioritise grid access for high-impact investment projects, particularly those delivering quality jobs and economic value. New legislative powers will allow strategic documents, like this Industrial Strategy, to guide grid capacity allocation. Ofgem is reviewing the entire connections process to improve speed, service, and transparency. Alongside process reforms, efforts are also focused on accelerating the construction of new grid infrastructure, with £60 billion proposed for investment in the 2026–2031 transmission upgrade cycle.

Link to the Industrial Strategy.

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