Last month, the Government announced the establishment of the National Energy System Operator (NESO), a new publicly owned organisation aimed at bolstering energy security, reducing long-term energy costs and advancing the country’s clean power by 2030 agenda.
The Nationgal Grid’s Electricity System Operator (ESO) has been transferred into public ownership as part of the new NESO organisation after the Government agreed to a £630m fee.
NESO, established under the Energy Act 2023, will oversee the planning and design of the country’s electricity and gas networks, filling a gap that previously lacked a single coordinating body.
Now, the energy ministers in the Scottish, Welsh, and UK Governments have asked NESO to produce a strategic spatial plan to map out energy infrastructure across the UK.
The aim of the plan, scheduled for publication in 2026, is to look at how spreading infrastructure can assist other sectors including transport and water supply and look to cut down on grid connection waiting times, giving investors confidence on where to build and when.
Research from 2023 revealed that around £200bn of renewables projects are facing waiting times of 15 years in the UK, slowing the low-carbon transition as a result.
Minister for Energy Michael Shanks said: “To help drive growth and investment in our clean energy future, we need to provide investors with the long-term certainty and stability that they have been crying out for.
“That’s why we need a more strategic approach to our energy system, ensuring we can quickly scale up investment in the right infrastructure where we need it, to keep costs down and speed up our transition to clean power. Delivering the country’s first-ever spatial plan will be a major milestone for our new public energy body.”
The first iteration of the plan will focus on generation and storage, examining the role that hydrogen, offshore wind and pumped storage hydro can play.
Priority list
The Labour Government has committed to delivering a decarbonised power system by 2030. This will entail bringing all coal-fired generation offline, plus reducing gas-fired generation and retrofitting remaining gas plants with carbon capture.
NESO’s establishment follows a series of other government initiatives, including lifting the ban on onshore wind in England, approving major solar farm projects and launching the Clean Energy Mission Control Centre.
Earlier this year, the Government tasked former Climate Change Committee (CCC) chief Chris Stark with spearheading a new ‘control centre’ to decarbonise the electricity grid.
Commenting on the new announcement, Kayte O’Neill, Chief Operating Officer, NESO said: “We are delighted to receive this formal commission as NESO to develop this plan and bring together our expertise and that of our partners to develop this critical blueprint for Great Britain’s energy system of the future.
“By setting out pathway options, engaging across government, the regulator, wider industry, interested parties and with communities as well as exploring the needs at a more zonal and regional level we can then identify where and what type of electricity and storage technologies we need to meet our future demand and decarbonisation ambitions.”
Last month, the Government announced the establishment of the National Energy System Operator (NESO), a new publicly owned organisation aimed at bolstering energy security, reducing long-term energy costs and advancing the country’s clean power by 2030 agenda.
The Nationgal Grid’s Electricity System Operator (ESO) has been transferred into public ownership as part of the new NESO organisation after the Government agreed to a £630m fee.
NESO, established under the Energy Act 2023, will oversee the planning and design of the country’s electricity and gas networks, filling a gap that previously lacked a single coordinating body.
Now, the energy ministers in the Scottish, Welsh, and UK Governments have asked NESO to produce a strategic spatial plan to map out energy infrastructure across the UK.
The aim of the plan, scheduled for publication in 2026, is to look at how spreading infrastructure can assist other sectors including transport and water supply and look to cut down on grid connection waiting times, giving investors confidence on where to build and when.
Research from 2023 revealed that around £200bn of renewables projects are facing waiting times of 15 years in the UK, slowing the low-carbon transition as a result.
Minister for Energy Michael Shanks said: “To help drive growth and investment in our clean energy future, we need to provide investors with the long-term certainty and stability that they have been crying out for.
“That’s why we need a more strategic approach to our energy system, ensuring we can quickly scale up investment in the right infrastructure where we need it, to keep costs down and speed up our transition to clean power. Delivering the country’s first-ever spatial plan will be a major milestone for our new public energy body.”
The first iteration of the plan will focus on generation and storage, examining the role that hydrogen, offshore wind and pumped storage hydro can play.
Priority list
The Labour Government has committed to delivering a decarbonised power system by 2030. This will entail bringing all coal-fired generation offline, plus reducing gas-fired generation and retrofitting remaining gas plants with carbon capture.
NESO’s establishment follows a series of other government initiatives, including lifting the ban on onshore wind in England, approving major solar farm projects and launching the Clean Energy Mission Control Centre.
Earlier this year, the Government tasked former Climate Change Committee (CCC) chief Chris Stark with spearheading a new ‘control centre’ to decarbonise the electricity grid.
Commenting on the new announcement, Kayte O’Neill, Chief Operating Officer, NESO said: “We are delighted to receive this formal commission as NESO to develop this plan and bring together our expertise and that of our partners to develop this critical blueprint for Great Britain’s energy system of the future.
“By setting out pathway options, engaging across government, the regulator, wider industry, interested parties and with communities as well as exploring the needs at a more zonal and regional level we can then identify where and what type of electricity and storage technologies we need to meet our future demand and decarbonisation ambitions.”