Re-shaping the grid – it’s energising: my NIPA story
22 October 2024
Re-shaping the grid – it’s energising: my NIPA story
Tom Beckford, External Affairs Manager, National Grid
Some jobs bring the best out of you. Some jobs not so much. In my role working to enable the energy transition, I’ve certainly found my niche. This is my NIPA story.
It’s no secret that the UK faces a big task to decarbonise and re-shaping the electricity grid is a massive part of that. At National Grid, we all talk about and know that we need to do five times more in the next seven years than we’ve done in the last 30 to make our network fit for the future.
But how do you translate such a vast endeavour and significant challenge into something that’s understandable at a local level? That’s my job and I love it.
I’m working with an outstanding group of engineers, project managers and environmental specialists to connect the story of grid transformation with what this means for communities, stakeholders and for individuals. I see myself as the bridge between the technical and the relatable. It’s my job to explain proposals for new energy infrastructure, to position those in a local context, and to enable a dialogue that helps projects to progress as well as communities to benefit. I didn’t know this job existed when I left university. Now I’m doing something that literally sparks my enthusiasm and where my passion can come to the fore.
NIPA is something I value immensely. I’m an Early Years Practitioner (EYP) and co-chair the group, which also means I sit on the Board. The way I see it, it’s the best way to learn, to connect and to ‘get better’ because NIPA is all about making connections and sharing knowledge. It comes with no pressure unlike some other professional development opportunities. It’s simply a group of committed professionals who care for what they do and want to achieve more by sharing and exchanging ideas and experiences. That has tremendous value, not least when we’re all grappling with the scale and speed of some of the challenges we need to overcome to reach Net Zero.
As a 31 year old, you could say I’ve built a great foundation for my career and am really starting to stretch my legs as a professional. When I think about how much I’ve learned in my roles within comms agencies and now client-side, it’s phenomenal. That personal development is driven by what I’ve learnt on the job, but also through spaces that allow you to discuss, share and develop mutual interests, with no pressure or awkwardness. The NIPA events I’ve attended and organised have been exactly that – everyone just there to make connections, share experiences, and to benefit personally and professionally. And whilst it’s important to learn quickly, everyone does so at their own pace and in their own way.
Back to what I’m doing day in and day out, a large part of it is raising awareness of the challenges the energy industry faces. This goes beyond just the shift from fossil fuel to renewable energy generation to achieve Net Zero, but also recognising that our demand for electricity is set to double in the next 30 years due to the increased electrification of transport, heating, and other aspects of our daily lives.
Having a responsibility to share this story really fires my brain. Firstly it genuinely interests me and I have a tremendous curiosity for all things energy and infrastructure. But secondly – and somewhat unusually perhaps – I’m neurodiverse with suspected ADHD and my brain just acts differently when I’m processing and talking about energy. I joke with my colleagues and friends about it being a ‘superpower’ because my recall for facts and stats across infrastructure is phenomenal. It’s a hyperfocus. But if I nip to the shop and leave the house with a ‘list’ in my head, no matter how short, it will not be there by the time I get to the counter. That’s just me.
My point in all of this is to really laser in on doing something that fascinates you, that fires you up, and that brings the best out of you and who you are. For me, that’s definitely working in energy and infrastructure. For anyone reading this and thinking about what the route for them might be, it’s for you to choose of course. All I would say is don’t underestimate the satisfaction you get from working in something you’re curious about.
Back to NIPA for a moment, I can’t advocate for it enough. The people I have met through membership and now working on the board have all been kind, generous with their time, and inclusive. The conversations are always about what people have seen and learned on their projects and where and how ideas or lessons could translate across to others. It’s about being the best we can be because we all have a large job, not just in re-wiring Britain, but across every sector of infrastructure from rail to water and highways.
Since I’ve been involved with NIPA, I’ve built relationships and friendships. I’ve built confidence and knowledge. And I’ve built my personal and professional network in a way I can only be grateful for.
When the task so many of us are taking on is the onerous one of delivering the next generation of UK infrastructure, we could all do with a bit of that.
