VodafoneThree: Digital Infastructure's Role in Clean Power

Clean Power 2030 is rapidly accelerating the transformation of the UK’s energy system, but its overall success depends on more than generation capacity alone.

As renewables scale and networks decentralise, digital infrastructure is emerging as a critical enabler of reliability, resilience and efficiency.

Neil Smith, Head of Energy & Water at VodafoneThree, explains why connectivity, real-time data and secure networks must be treated as core energy assets to deliver a flexible, affordable and future-ready system.

Clean Power 2030 is often framed as a challenge for generation and the grid. Why is digital infrastructure becoming just as critical?

Clean Power 2030 is reshaping the UK energy system at pace. Renewables now regularly account for more than 40% of electricity generation, with wind and solar forming an increasing share of daily supply. That shift requires continuous, real-time monitoring and balancing across the energy network.

As renewable generation scales, the system is becoming more decentralised, data-driven and digitally dependent. Distributed energy resources, including solar PV, battery storage, EV chargers and smart meters, are now critical parts of the energy landscape. Their performance, resilience and security depend on reliable, real-time data flows.

Mobile connectivity enables operators to monitor assets, balance supply and demand and respond quickly to disruption. It is no longer a supporting function but fundamental to how the energy system operates day to day. Delivering clean, reliable and affordable power at scale will depend on treating the telecoms networks that connect these assets with the same priority as the energy infrastructure itself.

Why does investment in digital infrastructure need to sit alongside physical energy infrastructure?

The energy transition is often defined by visible infrastructure such as wind farms, substations and cables. Less visible, but equally critical, is the digital layer that connects and manages them.

As new generation comes online, system operation increasingly relies on real-time data, remote monitoring and automation, all of which depend on secure, scalable connectivity. Without it, next-generation energy assets risk being constrained by digital bottlenecks, limiting performance and resilience.

Planning digital and physical infrastructure together from the outset reduces project risk, avoids costly retrofitting and ensures assets are fit for a more complex, data-driven energy system.

How can real-time data and automation improve flexibility and reduce costs?

Weather-dependent generation and the electrification of transport and heating are changing how supply and demand behave across the energy network. Real-time data gives operators visibility of system conditions as they evolve.

Combined with automation and AI, this enables more accurate forecasting, smarter energy flow optimisation and better management of flexible demand, so electricity is used when it is cleanest, cheapest and most abundant.

These capabilities are increasingly visible to consumers. Smart meters, time-of-use tariffs and connected devices automatically shift everyday energy use, such as EV charging or running appliances, into off-peak periods. By aligning consumption with system conditions, households can reduce bills without actively managing their usage.

Improved visibility also allows earlier intervention when issues arise, reducing downtime, disruption and peak-time pressure. Together, these capabilities support a more efficient, resilient energy system and help keep costs down.

There is a lot of focus on AI in energy. What role does it really play?

AI has significant potential to accelerate the energy transition, particularly in forecasting, dispatch and system balancing. However, its impact depends entirely on the digital foundations beneath it.

AI is only as effective as the data it receives. It requires high-quality, real-time data flowing reliably across the system. Where connectivity is inconsistent, latency unpredictable or security weak, AI cannot operate safely or deliver meaningful value.

To unlock real outcomes, AI must be built on secure, resilient networks that support data integrity, system trust and operational resilience.

What risks do gaps in connectivity and cyber resilience pose to energy networks?

As energy systems become more digitally integrated, they also become more exposed. Operational technology (OT) that was once isolated is now connected to enable monitoring, automation and optimisation improving efficiency but introducing new cyber and operational risks.

Historically, OT networks relied on private connections to limit exposure. Today, internet-based services are increasingly used to connect energy assets for flexibility, performance and cost reasons. Without the right controls, this can significantly increase the attack surface and exposure to variable network performance.

To manage this, operators are adopting security-by-design approaches. Technologies such as zero-trust architectures and network segmentation, aligned with frameworks like the UK Cyber Assessment Framework, help control access, isolate critical systems and reduce the risk of cascading failures.

Limited visibility compounds the challenge. Without real-time insight across OT assets, response times slow and the effectiveness of automation and AI is reduced. In this context, OT has become a frontline cyber target, where disruption can have immediate real-world consequences for service continuity and public trust.

Assured connectivity that is secure, resilient and predictable is therefore becoming a foundational requirement for modern energy systems.

What role does mobile connectivity play in delivering Clean Power 2030?

Mobile connectivity is already a critical part of the energy system. It is the default means of communication between control rooms and the field workforce, and often onwards to customers, supporting maintenance, capital projects and fault response. Without reliable mobile networks, workforce productivity, safety and response times are immediately affected.

In addition, mobile connectivity links the systems and assets that enable remote monitoring, control and optimisation particularly in remote and rural locations. Advanced 5G networks, using features such as network slicing, allow critical operational traffic to be prioritised and isolated, supporting system resilience as complexity grows.

As millions of new assets are added to the system, mobile networks offer a scalable foundation that can expand with the grid, provided they are designed and governed appropriately from the outset.

What should policymakers keep in mind as Clean Power 2030 progresses?

Clean Power 2030 is as much a digital programme as an energy one, yet telecoms connectivity is still too often treated as an afterthought. While smart grids and flexibility rely on real-time data, connectivity is frequently addressed late in project planning, creating avoidable delays and risks.

Getting the digital backbone right upfront reduces delivery risk, shortens timelines and strengthens long-term energy security. Fibre will remain essential for some use cases, but 5G has a vital complementary role.

With the right performance characteristics, particularly when using technologies like network slicing and direct-to-device communications for resilience, 5G can support many operational requirements faster and at far lower cost than building new fibre routes, especially in remote locations.

The UK has an opportunity to lead not just in renewables, but in building a smarter, more resilient, data-driven energy system. Delivering clean power at pace depends on designing that digital backbone in from the start.