Islands renew electricity import deal with EDF

Electricity companies in Guernsey and Jersey have signed a new four-year contract with EDF energy to continue importing electricity from Europe from 2028.

The agreement will take effect on 1 January 2028, when the islands' current agreement with the French energy company comes to an end.

Currently most of electricity needed for the islands is met through imported power supplied via subsea cables linking them to the European grid through the Channel Islands Electricity Grid network.

Guernsey Electricity chief executive Alan Bates said the deal would help secure the islands' energy supply while supporting efforts to cut carbon emissions.

The agreement continues the long-standing relationship between Guernsey Electricity, Jersey Electricity and EDF.

Jersey's first undersea cable was installed in 1985 and the Jersey-Guernsey cable entered service in 2000.

Bates said he was delighted with the deal to continue importing low carbon electricity, which would reduce the need to use the fossil fuel powered generators at the Vale Power Station.

"We can also import low carbon electricity at a price generally lower than that of generating on island, which helps to manage the impact of electricity prices on islanders," he said.

He said the contract would also allow the company to continue using forward purchasing arrangements to help protect customers from volatility in wholesale energy markets and reduce the impact of price fluctuations on local electricity tariffs.

Jersey Electricity chief executive Chris Ambler said the agreement was important for the future of the island with more households moving away from fossil fuel heating and the number of electric vehicles continuing to grow.

"Electricity is becoming increasingly important to the island's economy and everyday life," he said.

"This agreement gives us greater visibility over our future supply arrangements while allowing us to continue investing in the resilience of Jersey's electricity network."

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