UK Power Networks’ DSO is extending its partnership with energy data and software company Advanced Infrastructure to provide local authorities with free access to an online energy planning tool.
The Local Area Energy Planning Tool (LAEP+) tool “redefines” how councils develop local area energy plans, it claims, and was developed by UK Power Networks and Advanced Infrastructure and co-designed with local authorities.
It makes it “quicker and more cost-efficient for local authorities to develop their Local Area Energy Plans”. Accessible through UK Power Networks’ Your Local Net Zero Hub website, the tool helps councils accelerate investment in their local area, it said.
UK Power Networks made the LAEP+ tool free of charge to all of the 133 it serves in summer 2023, and it has now been rolled out across the country with three other network operators also making it available to some or all of the local authorities they serve.
These plans can be shared with UK Power Networks DSO to inform their network investment strategy. LAEP+ provides data, scenario modelling and project-building tools to support decarbonisation plans in an accessible way aimed specifically at local authority staff.
Previously, collecting data and mapping out potential decarbonisation projects by local authorities was a manual and resource-intensive process, it said.
The LAEP+ planning tool helps local authorities prioritise investment in carbon saving schemes such as retrofits by segmenting properties according to their suitability and eligibility for grant funding. To date, there have been over 200 projects created by local authorities signed up to the tool.
Lynne McDonald, head of Local Net Zero at UK Power Networks, said:
“Local authorities told us it is important to have the right tools to plan effectively for their communities. That’s why we’ve made LAEP+ freely available to all 133 of our local authorities so they can build their local area energy plans faster, at lower cost. Local authorities were involved in shaping the tool right from the outset, meaning it has been built and designed with their needs at its core.
“Together with Advanced Infrastructure, we’re making the journey to Net Zero more joined-up, more local, and more achievable for local authorities.”
Lily Cairns Haylor, head of product and co-founder at Advanced Infrastructure, commented:
“The LAEP+ Planning tool represents a significant step forward in digital collaboration for network planning.
“By enabling local authorities and network operators to align on infrastructure needs in real time, we’re helping accelerate the transition to a low-carbon future while ensuring cost-effective and data-driven grid investments.”
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