National Energy System Operator launches
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) has been established today (1st October 2024) to deliver electricity decarbonisation and whole system planning to deliver Net-Zero.
This new organisation will have broad strategic oversight of both the electricity and gas systems, ensuring that Great Britain’s energy infrastructure is secure, resilient, flexible, and future-proof as the country decarbonises to reach net-zero.
The creation of NESO is driven by an urgent need to unify and optimise Britain’s approach to energy. The current system, though effective in many ways, requires a more integrated and coordinated strategy to meet the unprecedented challenges of climate change, ensuring secure energy supply, and keeping costs manageable for consumers.
Last month the government reached an agreement with National Grid to acquire the Electricity System Operator, which will be transferred to public ownership. According to reports, the value of the sale is £630 million.
NESO will bring together critical roles and responsibilities under one roof and will stand independent from both Government and industry in delivery of its future work.
The Government has outlined new roles for NESO to support it in delivering a leading holistic approach to energy. This holistic, whole system thinking approach will sit at the heart of NESO’s work ensuring that the future challenges across a range of energy technologies, networks and economic sectors are adequately resolved and planned for.
One of NESO’s first actions will be to deliver guidance to the Government on the delivery of a clean power system by 2030. This ambitious target demands swift and decisive action to bring it to reality, but it is an achievable goal.
The journey to a fully decarbonised Great Britain by 2050 will require more than the capabilities of NESO alone. It will necessitate a robust and ongoing collaboration across the entire energy ecosystem. From policymakers to industry leaders, from innovators to consumers, every stakeholder has a crucial part to play.
Paul Golby, Chair of the National Energy System Operator, said:
“Today is a significant day for the energy industry and for the country, the establishment of the National Energy System Operator is critical not just to the delivery of clean power by 2030 but to the delivery of net-zero by 2050.”
“As we take on the new roles and responsibilities of NESO it is critical that we do so with humility. We won’t know all the answers by ourselves but by working together with Government, the regulator, industry and wider society we can deliver on our primary duties to run a safe, secure and affordable energy system capable of supporting net-zero.
Fintan Slye, Chief Executive of the National Energy System Operator, added:
“NESO will sit at the heart of the energy industry ensuring that a holistic, whole system approach is taken in delivering decarbonisation across energy, heating, transport and beyond in order to delivery net-zero.”
“NESO will act as a catalyst, but it is through collective effort across the energy industry and society at large that we will deliver an energy system that is secure, resilient, flexible, and future-proof.”
Energy Minister Michael Shanks said:
“We are on a mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower, and today marks a milestone in that journey with the launch of NESO.
“This new independent body will help to set a path to decarbonising our networks, giving the industry confidence to invest in a clean energy future and supporting skilled jobs across the country.”
“To protect billpayers, we must reduce our reliance on insecure fossil fuel markets and I look forward to working with NESO, alongside Ofgem, to deliver clean power by 2030.”
Image courtesy of Shutterstock.
