October 2024
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This conference focused on plans for developing the UK’s electricity network and key issues for delivery.
It followed the establishment of a Mission Control taskforce at the DESNZ, responsible for delivering the new Government’s pledge of reaching net zero by 2030. We expected discussion on the taskforce’s role, including priorities for speeding up connection of new power infrastructure to the grid, such as onshore wind farms enabled by the latest Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 6, and next steps for collaboration with Ofgem, the National Grid and the Electricity System Operator.
The conference also followed publication of both the previous government’s Electricity networks: Transmission Acceleration Action Plan and Connections Action Plan in November 2023, setting out proposals for network reform and improvements, in response to recommendations from the Electricity Networks Commissioner Nick Winser, who was a keynote speaker at this conference.
We are pleased to have been able to include further keynote sessions with: Paul van Heyningen, Deputy Director, Electricity Networks Strategy and Regulatory Policy, DESNZ; and Alice Etheridge, Head, Strategic Spatial Energy Planning, National Grid ESO.
Stakeholders and policymakers examined key issues and progress so far on action plans and next steps under the new Government. Sessions included discussion on the scale and pace of connection reform, advancing municipal and community energy projects, optimising planning reform to enable the construction and restoration of sustainable infrastructure, and managing development to fund nature recovery, as well as attracting investment from the private sector in order to accelerate the energy transition.
Delegates looked at key issues for implementing planning reform, provision of sufficient operation and storage solutions, and what moving from a ‘connect and build’ to a ‘build and manage’ approach looks like in practice.
Overall, areas for discussion included:
- strategy: priorities for the Government’s new Mission Control taskforce - assessing action plans - costs, finance and investor confidence - alternative approaches to policy and implementation
- development: progress on government, regulator and industry plans - priorities for the National Energy System Operator, the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan and Centralised Strategic Network Plan
- reform: assessing optimal and practical pace of change - regional connectivity - reforming the planning system to accelerate infrastructure implementation - consumer costs and value for money
- decarbonisation: planning, policy and stakeholder priorities for net zero pathways - addressing challenges for integration of renewables and alternative energy sources
- impact: taking due account of local concerns - mitigating environmental impact - implications for investment and grid infrastructure rollout
All delegates were able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. Those that attended include a parliamentary pass-holder from the House of Commons and officials from Defra; DESNZ; Ofgem; DSIT; CCC; MHCLG; CCS; CMA; DECC, ROI; Department for the Economy, NI; DfT; DBT; GBN;GLD; GO-Science; HM Treasury; HSE; NIC; Ofwat; Planning Inspectorate; MMO; MOD; NAO; OBR; POST; Transport Scotland; UKIB; The Scottish Government; and the Welsh Government.
