NESO commissioned to develop spatial energy for clean power 

By Cathal Kavanagh

Britain’s energy system took another small step towards the ambition of clean power by 2030 this week, with the announcement that the National Energy System Operator (NESO) has been commissioned to produce the “first ever spatial plan for energy across Great Britian” by the three GB governments.  

With a target publication date of 2026 for the first iteration of the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP), NESO is to establish a governance structure, consult on the methodology and conduct modelling work to identify potential locations for the future development of energy infrastructure – both electricity and hydrogen.  

NESO’s brief is to “look at how to best spread new energy projects across the country in a way that takes into account other sectors, such as transport and water supply, as well as the environment.” 

The SSEP – the development of which is mentioned in the overarching National Policy Statement for energy (EN-1) published earlier this year – is envisaged to provide clarity and certainty for investors, cut grid connection delays and speed the nation’s progress towards being a ‘clean energy superpower’. 

It also has the potential to turn into an almighty political bunfight, with groups across the country and figures from several political parties (and not just the usual suspects) increasingly speaking out and campaigning against the location of new energy infrastructure in their local areas. 

Concerns related to the perceived ‘clustering’ of new renewable energy projects in particular areas of the country have become more prominent in recent years. The need to locate new projects close to existing transmission infrastructure has collided with local fears about visual amenity, agricultural land use, food security and community benefit.  

There are good reasons why new energy projects have been unevenly distributed across the country.  

For instance, there are currently over a dozen solar NSIP projects in Lincolnshire while Hertfordshire doesn’t have any. As a legacy of the UK’s formerly fossil-heavy electricity system, Lincolnshire and surrounding counties have a number of former power stations, high-capacity transmission lines and major substations that other parts of the country lack.  

The 14 power stations of ‘Megawatt Alley’ along the River Trent have been gradually shut down and demolished over recent years, but the grid infrastructure built to support them remains in place. 

This reality has made the region a cheaper, more viable choice for developers looking for potential sites, but it is of limited comfort to people feeling hard done by under the current state of play, and the prospect of a spatially planned energy system could have the added benefit of increasing public buy-in for the net zero transition. 

NESO’s commission includes a request to develop a number of ‘pathway’ options for how the energy system could look in future. Following production of these, the Secretary of State for Energy will then pick a pathway to form the basis of more detailed plans and assessments. 

The production of a spatial strategy for energy will be welcomed as a step on the road to clean power, but the Government will understand from the outset that multiple points of disagreement and tension are likely along the way.