The way we use energy is changing.

As electric heat pumps and electric vehicles become more popular,

and as the government tries to phase out fossil fuels to reach its net zero target,

some estimate that our electricity demand will increase by 50% by 2035.

But can our energy system take that strain?

To answer this question on the special podcast from The Spectator, I'm joined by a fantastic panel.

Andrew Bowie is the Minister for Networks at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

and has been the MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincaulden in Scotland's oil and gas-producing

region since 2017. Sadita Helm is Professor of Economic Policy at the University of Oxford.

In 2017, he undertook for the government an independent review of how to reduce costs in our energy system.

His most recent book is called Net Zero, How We Stop Causing Climate Change.

Flair Lawton is Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Smart Energy GB, a non-profit trying to raise awareness of smart

meters. They're kindly sponsoring this podcast today. And finally, Anna Moss, who's a senior

consultant at Cornwall Insight, which is an energy consultancy. And I'm Cindy Yu, the

spectator's assistant editor. Thank you all for joining this podcast. Now the grid is central to managing

changes in the way we use energy. It's a network that carries power from the plant to our homes,

through transformers and pylons and into our neighborhoods. Most of us flick a switch and we don't

think much about what has to happen for the lights to actually turn on. But if we're going to be

using more electricity to charge cars to heat our homes, the grid needs to be able to cope with

it. Deita, I wonder if I can start with you and ask you to give us an explanation of how the grid

actually works. And tell us what you think are the challenges facing it? Well, the way in which we get our electricity

depends on core network that's out there. It's the pylons, it's the local distribution

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