Regional views sought on energy demands

With demand for electricity projected to triple by the end of the decade, the National Energy System Operator (NESO) is seeking views on a region-by-region plan to put in place the energy networks needed to enable the UK to decarbonise and meet industry and domestic needs. The consultation is open until 3 November and the initial regional plan will be published in January.

NESO’s regional energy strategic planning (RESP) role is a new one and it will change the way that electricity and gas distribution networks are developed in Britain. Instead of being reactive to growth, an approach that can be a piecemeal and slow, the RESP role will aim to be more proactive. It means the necessary network may be in place earlier, but it requires input from industries such as logistics that will place demands on the network, such as for high-voltage charging along freight routes.

Eleven regional energy strategic plans (RESPs) will be produced (for Scotland, Wales, North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, North West, East Midlands, West Midlands, Central England, East, Greater London, South East and South West). The plans will be used as key inputs to the business plans for the electricity and gas distribution network companies.

The transitional RESP is focussed on supporting the next round of electricity distribution network operator (DNO) business plans, for 2028-2033. In order to fit with the timescales for the development of the DNO plans, NESO has to publish transitional RESPs (tRESP) by the end of January 2026.

The tRESP also has to act as a bridge between the current approach to local energy network planning, and the new RESP approach. The first set of full RESPs will be published by the end of 2027.