‘Business as usual’ won’t help: UK to produce long-term energy infrastructure plan

The newly founded National Energy System Operator (NESO), alongside the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments, aims to set out a long-term energy infrastructure plan for the country.

The group says that this will be the first strategic spatial plan for energy out to 2050 in the UK as it looks into onshore and offshore infrastructure.

The first iteration of the plan will encompass electricity generation and storage from hydrogen and offshore wind farms to pumped storage hydro.

Kayte O’Neill, chief operating officer of NESO said: “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.”

The group says that this approach will speed up the delivery of clean energy projects while reducing overall system costs, something it said “could in turn bring down bills for consumers.”

Why this wasn’t done decades ago?

NESO has said that a ‘business as usual’ approach will not help Britain achieve its carbon reduction goals as it looks to publish a plan in 2026.

However, Just Transition Commission member and former union leader Jake Molloy argued that the UK should have had a plan like this in place decades ago.

Molloy told Energy Voice: “You’ve got to think why this wasn’t done 20-30 years ago when we started out on the renewables campaign?

“It needs a broader think, in terms of developing an integrated plan for the country nationally so that you’re building in sustainability, development, the transition of workers who will be required to do the infrastructure work.

“There’s a lot more than politicians that need to be involved in this strategic development in order to make it a viable plan.”

NESO will assess how to best spread new energy projects across the UK while accounting for pre-existing sectors.

This engagement with industries such as transport and water supply is something that Molloy championed.

The Just Transition Commission member said that the decline of oil and gas and the management of that decline, alongside new offshore renewables, carbon capture storage and transport “all have to be factored into this.”

“You cannot develop a strategic plan for infrastructure without engaging with all of those different elements,” he explained.

Molloy said that, in his personal opinion, at the moment this engagement is something “we don’t have” in the UK.

A ‘major milestone’ for NESO

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: “Delivering the country’s first-ever spatial plan will be a major milestone for our new public energy body.”

NESO was established after the UK Government agreed to a £630 million deal to acquire the Electricity System Operator (ESO) from National Grid.

The government insists the body “will stand independent” from both Government and industry.

The Scottish government’s acting cabinet secretary for net zero and energy, Gillian Martin MSP, added: “Key to the plan’s success will be ensuring that investor confidence is maintained throughout.

“It is also vital that it takes into account the nature of devolved policies and ambitions, delivers real benefits for the people and communities of Scotland and supports our ongoing efforts for a just transition.”