Recent Additions to the EDC

This document is the Full Submission that was approved by Ofgem for the New Thames Valley Vision project as a part of the Low Carbon Network Fund.

The New Thames Valley Vision (NTVV) is a Low Carbon Network Fund Tier 2 project selected by Ofgem during the 2011 competitive selection process. Focussed on the low voltage network, the NTVV aims to demonstrate how electricity distribution networks can better serve their customers by understanding, anticipating and supporting their energy use as they move towards low carbon technologies.

In its Project Direction, Ofgem requires the NTVV to be undertaken in accordance with the commitments made in this Full Submission approved by Ofgem, pursuant to the LCN Fund Governance Document.

This document is an Evidence Report for the same trial that produced the New Thames Valley Vision - Automated Demand Response Dataset.

The New Thames Valley Vision (NTVV) is a Low Carbon Network Fund Tier 2 project selected by Ofgem during the 2011 competitive selection process. Focussed on the low voltage network, the NTVV aims to demonstrate how electricity distribution networks can better serve their customers by understanding, anticipating and supporting their energy use as they move towards low carbon technologies.

This paper addresses the criterion and evidence stipulated in the NTVV Bid Successful Delivery Reward Criteria (SDRC's) 9.1c The focus of this report is being "Demand Side Response evidence report".

The importance of distribution businesses conducting Demand Side Response (DRS) has been recognised in the regulation of energy networks. The NTVV project seeks to better understand the needs of business customers, with particular focus on the role DSR can play in managing distribution network constraints.

This document outlines the steps that were taken to establish the necessary tools related to SDRC 9.1c - namely "Demand side response evidence report".

The NTVV project has proved that we can engage commercial customers in demand response conversations, encourage them to take part is DSR and in many occasions, we have learnt that there are other benefits and offerings to customers other than purely financial incentives that attract interest. The NTVV project has signed 30 buildings on to our DSR programme without any direct financial incentive however; examining the on-going incentive structure is a key learning for the project over the next two years. Historic learning from the project has told us to simplify the commercial offering into a single document to reduce legal review.

Engagement and the installation of ADR has been a challenge however, learning from the US experience of established installations has proved invaluable.

This report provides evidence of the 30 signed agreements with the 30 ADR customers and presents the development of the new 3 way joint agreement that would be applicable to use in a nosiness as usual context. This report also reports on the successes of commercial customer events that have taken place as part of the NTVV project.

This document meets the New Thames Valley Vision (NTVV) project deliverable in relation to SDRC 9.1c.

This document is an Evidence Report for the same installation of end point monitors that produced the New Thames Valley Vision - End Point Monitors Dataset.

The NTVV project requires half hourly energy data to be captured from end points on the low voltage network so that energy usage patterns can be identified, categorised and forecast and aggregated to network level. With this information it is expected that meaningful forecasts can be made regarding the future loading of the low voltage network.

Had the smart meter roll out programme progressed to an advanced level (during 2012), data could have been obtained directly from energy suppliers. It was recognised at the conception of the project that availability of real smart meter data was at best uncertain, and realistically likely to be limited. The availability of alternative devices that could be fitted as part of the project would give considerably enhanced certainty of data availability. The end point monitors installed to date provide this data.

SDRC 9.2 (a) was established to ensure that a clear focus was given to the fitting of end point monitors so that data is captured at the earliest possible stage and made available to our Project Partner the University of Reading. All subsequent stages of data analysis depend upon this data and hence the high priority given to this task.

This document provides details of the completion of the installation of the 250 end point monitors, and presents the findings identified in line with the evidence criteria specified for the Successful Delivery Reward Criteria (SDRC).

This document also identifies the serial numbers of the devices fitted, and provides samples of the data collected to ensure that appropriate evidence of compliance with the SDRC is available.

This document is an Evidence Report for the same installation of substation monitors that produced the New Thames Valley Vision - Substations Dataset.

The NTVV project requires half hourly energy data to be captured from substations (and end points) on the low voltage network so that energy usage patterns can be identified, categorised and forecast, and compared with aggregated data from end points. With this information it is expected that meaningful forecasts can be made regarding the future loading of the low voltage network.

This document provides details of the completion of the installation of the 100 substation monitors, and presents the findings identified in line with the evidence criteria specified for the Successful Delivery Reward Criteria (SDRC).

Some LV feeders have little or no headroom whilst others have a reasonable amount available for historic network reasons. The substation monitoring will provide real data for comparison with the estimates and forecasts. The substation monitoring will also provide data to support the development of the most appropriate deployment strategy and operating regimes for energy storage as a solution to the network problems identified.

SDRC 9.2 (b) was established to acknowledge the clear focus given to the fitting of substation monitors so that data is captured at the earliest possible stage and made available to our Project Partner the University of Reading. All subsequent stages of data analysis depend upon this data and hence the high priority given to this task.

This document identifies the serial numbers of the devices fitted, and provides a sample of the data collected to ensure that appropriate evidence of compliance with the SDRC is available.

This document is an Evidence Report for the same trial that produced the New Thames Valley Vision - EMMA Thermal Energy Storage Dataset.

The New Thames Valley Vision (NTVV) project requires, under SDRC 9.4b, the installation of 30 thermal energy storage devices (known as EMMA devices), to include photographic evidence and where required an arranged site visit.

SSEPD confirms that this criterion has been met through the installation of 30 energy storage devices (EMMAs) within domestic properties around Bracknell.

This document provides details of the completion of the installation of 30 EMMAs, and presents the findings identified in line with the evidence criteria specified for the Successful Delivery Reward Criteria (SDRC).

The installation of these devices will help Scottish and Southern Energy Power Distribution (SSEPD) and all other GB DNOs understand the benefits to network operation that these units could bring and also quantify the installation rates, data needs and method of analysis. Under this project, EMMA units are being installed to limit the peak export of Photo Voltaic (PV) Micro Generation on to the low voltage (LV) network whilst allowing customers to consistently store and benefit from the energy their PV systems have produced by using it to heat hot water for normal use in their properties.

This document is a Knowledge Sharing Report for the same trial that produced the New Thames Valley Vision - Ice Bear Dataset.

NTVV is a Low Carbon Network Fund Tier 2 project selected during the 2011 funding round. This five year project is focussed on the LV network and aims to demonstrate how electricity distribution networks can better serve their customers by understanding, anticipating and supporting their energy use as they move towards low carbon technologies. The project explores a mixture of analytic, technological and commercial solutions.

The NTVV project explores energy storage solutions, including hot thermal, cold thermal and battery storage. The cold thermal storage part of this project involves the installation of Cold Thermal Storage devices within the study area. This will help Scottish and Southern Energy Power Distribution (SSEPD) and other Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) understand the benefits to network operation that these units could bring. Under this project, cold thermal (Ice Bear) units have been installed to shift the operation of commercial Air Conditioning (AC) condensing units from on-peak periods to off-peak periods on the LV network. Energy storage has the potential to reduce electric system demand, improve electric system load factor, reduce the amount of investments needed in the network, and improve the overall electric system efficiency and power quality. Customers can also benefit from lower off-peak rates for electricity for the majority of energy consumed in cooling their premises. The Ice Bear units deployed in NTVV are, at their most basic, a large thermal storage tank that attaches directly to an existing building AC system.

Cold thermal storage technology has been installed at three commercial premises and relevant information relating installation requirement(s), permissions, unit costs, safety considerations and associated time scales for this technology have been included within this report.

Trials of the three cold thermal storage devices have been completed following the installation and commissioning of the devices in July 2015. Data from the devices has been transmitted from the Ice Energy web portal and analysed to understand the effects of the units on the Low Voltage (LV) network. The data collated as part of the cold thermal storage technology trials has enabled the project team to assess the technology and outline how the learning from the trials could influence future deployment.

The information presented within this report delivers the learning applicable to cold thermal storage as outlined in Learning Outcome 4 as the learning presented within this report provides an understanding of both: 1) the effect of deployment on the LV network within different customer premises, in technical, geographical and in turn climatic conditions not previously trialled; and 2) the value to commercial customers in terms of energy savings and economic payback.

This report meets the requirements of the New Thames Valley Vision (NTVV) Full Bid Submission and the associated change control documentation that was formally agreed by Ofgem for Successful Delivery Reward Criteria (SDRC) 9.8(a) Cold Thermal LV Network Energy Storage.

This is the Final report for the Insight to Action Accelerator on long duration electricity storage (LDES) and low carbon dispatchable power (LCDP).

This report reviews evidence on long duration electricity storage (LDES) and low carbon dispatchable power (LCDP) technologies that could be prioritised for innovation funding and delivery by 2030/2035. The evidence was reviewed through the following activities:

The combined process of Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) and expert elicitation gave rise to longlists of options for LDES and LCDP, respectively, which were then subject to analysis against key criteria:

Five LDES and five LCDP technologies/technology groups were identified as the most promising for accelerated innovation into the electricity market by 2030-2035. In the long-term, the UK energy system would benefit from both LDES and LCDP technologies delivered at scale. The technical benefits of LCDP are often underappreciated, as these technologies can provide low carbon generation that can support system balancing, especially for intensive industrial uses. Having the capacity to deliver LCDP at scale and in the right locations may allow industrial decarbonisation by replacing some of the flexibility currently provided by natural gas. LDES also offers important system affordances for the overall grid by shifting electricity across multiple hours, days or longer periods, helping to absorb surplus renewable generation and release it when wind and solar output are low, thereby strengthening flexibility and resilience in a high-renewables system.

The report also presents research and innovation opportunities and barriers, as well as risks associated with technology choices.

This research was co-created by UKERC, the Energy Systems Catapult and funded by UKRI through Clean Energy Superpower Mission (CESM) R&D Missions Accelerator Programme.

In tandem with Ofgem seeking views on the role of locational charging and options for reforming transmission charges, DESNZ published an RNP delivery plan describing the various reforms that make up the programme and outlining how they will be delivered. This document is a consultation response from UKERC regarding this DESNZ delivery plan.

Read UKERC's joint response to DESNZ and Ofgem here.

Read UKERC's full response to Ofgem here.

In tandem with DESNZ publishing an Reformed National Pricing (RNP) delivery plan, Ofgem has sought views on the role of locational charging and a range of options for reforming transmission charges to meet their long standing goal of incentivising investment in locations that are best aligned with long-term system needs. This document is a consultation response from UKERC regarding this Ofgem call.

Read UKERC's joint response to DESNZ and Ofgem here.

Read UKERC's full response to DESNZ here.

This week, UKERC Researchers have responded to a consultation and call for input on reformed national pricing. The two submissions, for DESNZ's Reformed National Pricing Delivery Plan consultation, and for Ofgem's Call for Input on Locational Charges, help to inform the ongoing debate on how best to deliver a Reformed National Pricing (RNP) electricity market arrangement that delivers continued decarbonisation while minimising costs to the consumer.

The two consultations address how the market should be structured alongside NESO's new remit for strategic energy planning to deliver a system with the right balance of generation, demand and transmission infrastructure in terms of both scale and location.

DESNZ published an RNP delivery plan describing the various reforms that make up the programme and outlining how they will be delivered.

In tandem, Ofgem has sought views on the role of locational charging and a range of options for reforming transmission charges to meet their long standing goal of incentivising investment in locations that are best aligned with long-term system needs.

Read UKERC's full response to DESNZ here.

Read UKERC's full response to Ofgem here.

Place-based approaches towards building and heat decarbonisation have emerged as a central feature of recent UK, Scottish and Welsh Government policy. The Warm Homes Plan emphasises that delivery of heat decarbonisation at scale will be place-based and locally led. In England, a new Warm Homes Agency is being developed to coordinate action and support local actors.

The authors make several recommendations:

As part of the Ayrton Challenge on Energy Storage theme on capability building, Battery Ambassadors mapped the battery ecosystem landscape in 12 countries, to document the progress of the electrification transition in their regions, and to lay out the opportunities and challenges in battery research, technology integration and policy regulation.

The paper signposts ongoing needs to meet electrification targets, including in:

With thanks to our Battery Ambassadors who lead this initiative.

This report was funded by the UK government via the Ayrton Fund.

The report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation identifies five areas for immediate action to build a circular economy for EV batteries.

The Faraday Institution contributed to the report as part of the Ayrton Challenge on Energy Storage.

The Business and Trade Sub Committee on Economic Security, Arms and Export Controls launched an inquiry to consider how domestic production and trade can support a secure supply of critical minerals for UK industry, and assess the likely impact of the proposals set out in the Government's strategy.

The Committee welcomed written submissions that addressed a range of questions around critical minerals supply, including on ambitions and delivery, the domestic supply chain, industrial resilience and trade and diversification.

The UK Energy Research Centre provided a response to the consultation. Researchers from our Geopolitics, Energy Security & Resilience of Net Zero Theme contributed to a number of questions posed by the committee.

This project explores how industry, policymakers and researchers understand the Government's proposed Reformed National Pricing model following the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements decision.

To understand how major stakeholders are considering these future changes, the UCL Centre for Net Zero Market Design and the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) co-convened a workshop to understand stakeholders' perspectives and opinions on RNP.

Bringing together 65 senior leaders from industry, policymaking, and academia, the full-day workshop held on November 13, 2025 at the University of London's Senate House reflected on the implications of retaining a single national electricity price. The workshop aimed to understand participants' views of RNP and how it should be applied to maintain the pace of system investment, ensure operational efficiency, and protect affordability and fairness for electricity consumers.

From this workshop, a briefing paper and a Full Report were published (View the briefing paper here).

The full report details the intentions of hosting this workshop and the full day's agenda. It also contains specific topic-by-topic explanations collating participants' perspectives on each reform addressed in the REMA Summer Update.

This information is supplemented by methodological information including a description of the pre-workshop survey undertaken and tools provided by the UCL Climate Action Unit to aid the collection of information from participants throughout the workshop.

This project explores how industry, policymakers and researchers understand the Government's proposed Reformed National Pricing model following the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements decision.

To understand how major stakeholders are considering these future changes, the UCL Centre for Net Zero Market Design and the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) co-convened a workshop to understand stakeholders' perspectives and opinions on RNP.

Bringing together 65 senior leaders from industry, policymaking, and academia, the full-day workshop held on November 13, 2025 at the University of London's Senate House reflected on the implications of retaining a single national electricity price. The workshop aimed to understand participants' views of RNP and how it should be applied to maintain the pace of system investment, ensure operational efficiency, and protect affordability and fairness for electricity consumers.

From this workshop, a briefing paper and a Full Report were published (View the full report here).

This briefing paper summarises the main points discussed throughout the one-day workshop and analyses key themes. Ahead of the Reformed National Pricing Delivery Plan, the briefing illustrates how market participants and observers understand the coming reforms and their impact on the functioning of the electricity system.

This Policy Brief was published by the Centre for Energy Policy, University of Strathclyde, in part with UKERC funding. Read more here: https://doi.org/10.17868/strath.00094709

A central concern in debates on delivering net zero is how the costs are distributed. A key issue is the burden on UK households and businesses where costs are borne through electricity bills, which raises two specific concerns:

Here we use economy-wide scenario simulation modelling to consider the impacts of recovering green costs from UK households in different ways. At this stage, the authors deliberately abstract from how funded actions might support economic expansion, focusing instead on how introducing additional green costs affects distributional and economy-wide outcomes depending on who bears the cost. They test three 'who pays' options for the introduction of an illustrative additional green cost:

The authors' central finding is that recovering green costs through electricity bills produces the least favourable and most regressive economy-wide outcomes. Crucially, the results show that adding further green costs to bills will trigger a sustained increase in the user price of electricity. This will not only damage system wide decarbonisation activity and energy security by disincentivising the uptake of decarbonisation solutions in private transportation, residential heating, and industry, but exacerbate energy cost driven price pressures across the economy.

Recovering green costs through taxation (on income or consumption) limits further electricity price pressure and other negative effects across the economy and income groups. However, the precise impacts depend on workers' ability or willingness to maintain real incomes amid wider economic change.

UKERC welcomes the publication of Scotland's Draft Climate Change Plan: 2026-2040, and the Scottish Government's commitment to meeting the Climate Change Committee's recommended Carbon Budgets to 2040, as part of Scotland's contribution to international climate mitigation efforts.

In our response to the consultation on the Draft Climate Change Plan, UKERC experts - together with colleagues from the Energy Demand Research Centre - have engaged with many detailed issues of research evidence and policy effectiveness across different sectors of the economy. At the same time, we emphasise the need to take a whole system, economy-wide view of Scotland-s transition towards net zero.

The Insight explores the role of the HGV sector as a significant part of the UK's economy and the challenges of decarbonising the sector and proposes actions to develop and support the UK HGV industry.

Battery-powered and hydrogen fuel cell technologies are driving the energy transition in the UK's heavy goods vehicle market. By 2050, electric HGVs are expected to dominate road freight, with hydrogen playing niche roles in long-haul and heavy-duty segments. UK research in high-energy density batteries, particularly solid-state and lithium-sulfur, will be crucial for global leadership in the electrification of freight.

The report identifies key strengths, opportunities, issues and, most importantly, actionable interventions that could see the sector thrive as it faces the challenges thrown up by climate change, and the goals of ensuring energy security, reaching net zero and delivering economic growth.

The IOP commissioned the expertise of its membership to provide robust scientific evidence on priority technology advancements for nuclear and renewable energy generation (nuclear power, photovoltaics), energy storage (batteries) and transmission (high-temperature superconductors).

The Faraday Institution was pleased to contribute to the section on battery energy storage via the expertise of Martin Freer and Stephen Gifford.

The report comes to conclusions in key areas, such as R&D, research and scale-up infrastructure, skills development, and recycling and sustainability, outlining the following top priorities.

Flow batteries are a form of long duration energy storage; a set of technologies with potential performance benefits that could be crucial for the provision of reliable zero-emission electricity from variable renewable energy sources. They represent a small and relatively immature market with enormous growth potential in many developing economies – for deployment and manufacturing.

• In-country owners, operators and developers of power systems looking to expand solar and wind energy on less reliable grids;
• Owners of mining operations, large industrial facilities and data centres that require reliable power;
• Energy storage professionals who are considering alternatives to lead-acid and lithium-ion, but are unsure of the different technologies available;
• Battery manufacturers and raw material producers who are considering developing their own local battery products but are unsure of the material flows and potential for local supply chains.

This report was funded by the UK government via the Ayrton Fund. The report supports the delivery of the Ayrton Challenge on Energy Storage.

The UK Gigafactory Commission was established with the purpose of assessing the UK's current position and setting out, as clearly as possible, the steps required to secure further UK gigafactory investment and strengthen the UK's battery supply chain. The Commission's remit was to determine key priorities for policy action with a view to ensuring that the UK is competitive, resilient and prepared to seize the economic growth opportunities.

The Commission brought together expertise from across industry, policy, academia and public service. The recommendations formulated are intended for His Majesty's Government, for industry leaders, for investors and for all those concerned with the future direction of this vital sector. The findings of the Commission are based on analysis of industry data, consultation with stakeholders and a thorough review of international trends.

The Commission sets out ten priority recommendations that together build on existing interventions to form a coordinated strategy to secure UK gigafactory investment, strengthen supply chains and protect automotive competitiveness.

To secure long-term automotive competitiveness and energy security, the UK must adopt an interventionist mindset, acting decisively with financial incentives and proactive engagement. A tripartite strategy focused on OEM, battery plants and active material investment is central to achieving this.

This roadmap sets out how we expect the hydrogen production landscape to evolve towards 2035, and the key opportunities and challenges that we face.

We have published it in response to Chris Skidmore’s recommendation 12 in his Independent review of net zero, that the government should develop an ambitious and pragmatic 10 year delivery roadmap for the scaling up of hydrogen production.

Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to us at: hydrogenhub@energysecurity.gov.uk.

From UK Government Page - HTML version available here.

The civil nuclear roadmap provides a pathway for the different nuclear technologies and the government’s vision for the nuclear sector's future.

The UK led the world becoming the first country to split the atom. This was followed in 1956 by the world's first civil nuclear programme and a nuclear power station at Calder Hall, Windscale. At its peak in the mid-1990s, the UK generated approximately 13GW of power from nuclear energy, but this has slipped to only around 6GW today. This stands in stark contrast to our modern understanding of nuclear power as the only current form of reliable, secure, low carbon electricity which can be deployed at scale in the UK and as a key component in the drive for net zero. Accordingly, the government has taken the decision to reverse decades of under-investment and to recover the UK's global leadership in civil nuclear.

This Roadmap sets out the pathway to a UK resurgence in civil nuclear, covering both the long-term strategy and the near-term enabling policies we are pursuing. The aim is to demonstrate how nuclear power can and will contribute to the government's push to reach net zero by 2050 and, in so doing, to strengthen the UK's energy security. There is no credible pathway to net zero nor energy security without nuclear power and now is the time to act.

The purpose of this Roadmap is to send an unambiguous signal to the nuclear sector and investors, setting out how we expect UK nuclear deployment to happen, a timeline for the key decisions and actions, and clarity over the role government and industry should play in supporting and enabling this delivery. The challenges of net zero by 2050 and energy security demand urgent action, and the UK government stands ready to act.

From UK Government Page - HTML and Welsh Version available here.

This is an appendix to the Solar Roadmap

Case studies on wider benefits of solar to groups across society, including for students and community organisations

This annex provides more detail on the methodology and sources underpinning the analysis presented in the Solar Roadmap. This is primarily contained in Part 1, Chapter 2 - the Deployment Scenarios chapter. This includes the scenarios themselves, alongside other estimates such as homes powered, jobs-supported and land use estimates.

The Solar Roadmap, produced through collaboration with industry, presents a comprehensive strategy and clear plan of action to achieve the significant increase in solar deployment needed to support the delivery of clean power by 2030, as set out in the government’s Clean Power Action Plan.

The Roadmap details over 70 actions across a variety of areas including:

• Streamlining the grid connection process for solar
• Making the solar supply chain resilient, diverse and sustainable
• Demonstrating the government’s commitment to eradicate the abhorrent practices of modern slavery and forced labour
• Proposals for mandatory community benefit funds for local areas provided by developers, to ensure communities enjoy the benefits of hosting new infrastructure

From UK Government Page - HTML Version available here.

The clean flexibility roadmap outlines a vision for a cleaner, more flexible electricity system, which maximises the use of energy infrastructure to minimise energy bills for consumers.

Flexibility is essential for integrating the new home grown, renewable power we are building to reduce our reliance on expensive and volatile international fossil fuel markets. It is also crucial for delivering the government’s Clean Energy Superpower Mission to achieve clean power by 2030 and net zero by 2050.

Developed by the government, Ofgem and NESO, alongside energy industry stakeholders and consumer groups, the roadmap commits named organisations to specific, timebound actions to unlock flexible electricity capacity. It establishes an enduring governance framework to facilitate implementation, through tracking progress, holding action owners to account, and enabling further measures to be taken where required.

From UK Government Page - HTML Version available here.

Novel analysis from this paper shows that while gas-linked revenues accounted for 90% of generation and two-thirds of total costs in 2024, this is expected to fall to 60% and just under half of costs by 2028.

Three years after the energy crisis, residential electricity prices in the UK 2025 are still historically high, and the UK is amongst the highest priced countries for electricity. This paper finds that bills have risen by £150 in real terms since 2021, and that £112 of this increase is due to higher wholesale market prices driven largely by gas.

Britain's electricity system is also going through a profound change. As the share of output with a fixed price contract or CfD rises, the role of gas generation in setting household prices will fall, since increasing volumes of generation will be delinked from gas prices. Novel analysis from this paper shows that while gas-linked revenues accounted for 90% of generation and two-thirds of total costs in 2024, this is expected to fall to 60% and just under half of costs by 2028.

However, this 'automatic' reduction in the share of gas prices in bills is limited in effect by the volume of renewable generation receiving a CfD that is at or below the wholesale price. The authors argue that going further to reduce bills requires action on policy costs. They therefore recommend UKERC's Pot Zero proposal which targets the most substantial policy cost on bills (at £102): the Renewables Obligation (RO). Moving RO-supported projects onto CfDs could deliver consumer savings of £2-8 billion per year in the late 2020s, equivalent to £20-80 per consumer.

Key messages:

In future work, UKERC's Whole Systems mission will explore options to help hold CfD prices down, reduce the costs of curtailment, minimise the costs of network upgrades and refurbishment, and mechanisms to reallocate costs between categories of consumer, for example, through tariff reform.

The decarbonisation of heat remains one of the most complex and uncertain challenges in achieving the UK's net zero targets. For Gas Distribution Networks (GDNs), the future of heat delivery is unclear, leaving limited indicators to guide long-term investment and operational planning. Among the few available signals are the heat pump deployment targets established through Local Area Energy Plans (LAEPs).

In Wales, the Government has formally adopted LAEPs to support a whole-systems approach to net zero, aligning local decision-making with national objectives. This executive summary condenses a report which was produced following a six-month placement at Wales & West Utilities, to assess the implications of LAEPs from a GDN's perspective. It explores the deployment rates required to meet LAEP targets and examines how these trajectories are likely to influence future gas demand.

The analysis shows that meeting LAEP targets will require a sharp and immediate increase in heat pump installations, with annual deployment rates often surpassing current gas boiler replacement levels. If similar trends are seen across the UK, overall deployment would be higher than what is targeted in the Seventh Carbon Budget. What's more, the longer substantial progress is delayed, the more difficult deployment will be to manage sustainably, as roll-out rates will have to exceed natural replacement cycles.

The findings also highlight the 2031-2036 price control period as a critical turning point when heat pump deployment is expected to peak and begin to significantly reduce gas throughput. These shifts are likely to create new operational and financial challenges for GDNs. Without sufficient flexibility from the regulator (Ofgem) to manage transitional inefficiencies and cost recovery, networks may face increased risk and reduced utilisation.

The report concludes with recommendations for how energy planning processes could be refined to better achieve their desired outcomes.

As the UK intensifies efforts to decarbonise heating, Gas Distribution Networks (GDNs) are grappling with growing uncertainty about how rapidly low-carbon technologies - particularly heat pumps - will be adopted and how this will influence future gas demand. Recently, the Welsh Government has adopted Local Area Energy Plans (LAEPs) to help Local Authorities (LAs) navigate such uncertainties and coordinate local energy transitions using a whole-systems approach.

Designed to support net zero objectives and guide infrastructure investment, LAEPs align national and local ambitions while reflecting the specific characteristics and constraints of each area. They outline energy supply, demand, and storage needs, along with renewable deployment targets that illustrate how local energy systems might evolve.

This report, produced following a six-month placement with Wales and West Utilities, examines the implications of LAEPs from a GDN's perspective. It first assesses the scale of heat pump deployment required to meet LAEP targets, then considers the challenges that gas networks will encounter as heating becomes increasingly electrified, with a focus on the visions for the future of heat delivery outlined across the LAEPs.

The analysis indicates that, without an immediate acceleration in deployment, heat pump roll-out will need to surpass the current rate of gas boiler replacements in many regions, if LAEP heat pump deployment targets are to be met. Furthermore, delays in progress will widen the gap between natural boiler replacement cycles and the rate required to meet LAEP goals - making the transition more difficult to manage sustainably.

By estimating the associated reductions in gas demand, the study also identifies when heat pump uptake is likely to begin significantly affecting the gas network. Results suggest that the 2031-2036 price control period will be a pivotal phase, as heat pump installation peaks. Without sufficient flexibility from the regulator (Ofgem) to address resulting system inefficiencies, GDNs could face substantial financial strain.

The report discusses all of the outlined implications in detail and concludes with recommendations for how energy planning processes could be refined to better achieve their desired outcomes.

The Industrial Strategy is underpinned by an extensive analytical programme. Given the complexity of the decisions involved, no single methodology or information source can encompass all the relevant issues; instead, we analysed quantitative and qualitative evidence from a range of sources using a variety of methodologies and tools. We will continue our programme following the publication of the Industrial Strategy, expanding our analysis as the evidence and the economy itself evolve over the next decade.

The analytical programme was based on literature reviews, data analysis, and engagement. We used engagement to gather feedback on the Industrial Strategy, including on sectors, places, growth barriers and opportunities, and policies; to incorporate evidence and analysis from a range of experts and stakeholders; and to independently validate our analytical programme. Activities included:

As part of Invest 2035 we issued a public consultation asking for feedback on 36 questions to inform the Industrial Strategy. The consultation ran for six weeks over October and November 2024. Responses were submitted online or by email and reviewed by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and the research agency Ipsos. Responses supported the analysis identifying frontier industries and places, identifying key economy-wide growth barriers and opportunities, and selecting policy interventions.

The consultation received over 27,000 online answers to individual questions from a wide range of businesses, individuals, academics, think tanks, and trade unions, as well as more than 250 business associations representing hundreds of thousands of businesses across the UK.

The government has five national missions, to:

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) leads on the government's mission to Make Britain a Clean Energy Superpower, working in close collaboration with other departments (see Section 1.1.3).

Research, development, and innovation (hereafter 'R&D') are critical enablers for achieving both pillars of the Clean Energy Superpower Mission (CESM): delivering clean power by 2030 and accelerating to net zero by 2050. They provide the robust scientific evidence base for policy decisions and delivery, enable the successful innovation and scaling up of necessary technologies, and enhance productivity and economic growth. As estimated by the International Energy Agency, approximately 35% of the global emission reductions needed in 2050 to reach net zero rely on technologies that are not yet commercially available.

Areas of Research Interest documents (ARIs) set out research questions and evidence needs of government organisations. They are a key tool for shaping the research landscape - helping to align academic, industry, and public sector efforts with government priorities. This ARI document sets out the R&D needed to deliver the CESM, based on cross-government consensus. It captures the breadth of challenges and opportunities across both mission pillars and seeks to encourage more structured dialogue and collaboration with external stakeholders.

This ARI document is intended to support collaboration between government, academia, industry, and other research organisations. It sets out both the full thematic breadth of research areas relevant to the CESM and a focused set of priority R&D challenges where coordinated effort is most urgently required. Together, these provide a strategic framework to guide research investment, shape funding programmes, and inform policy development.

It can be used to:

This ARI has been intentionally developed at a strategic level. While it captures the full breadth of research areas relevant to the mission, it does not aim to provide detailed R&D requirements. Instead, it offers directional guidance on the research considered most valuable at the time of assessment, rather than an exhaustive specification. As part of our future plan, we will define what success looks like and develop approaches to measure progress.

Britain used to be an energy powerhouse. We built technologies that brought jobs and prosperity across the country. We have a once in a generation chance to build on that prosperity and growth, but only if we double down on our advantages. If we delay, or fail to seize the available opportunities, other countries will win the race for these industries of the future. Clean energy is that future and a perfect fit for the UK's strengths.

The UK has major growth opportunities in Clean Energy Industries. We are a coastal nation, a scientific and innovation superpower, with strengths in high-value manufacturing and a skilled energy workforce to match. With our world-leading renewable energy deployment, and deep capital markets, Britain is the natural home for Clean Energy Industries. We can deliver investment in manufacturing and deployment that will have significant spillover benefits for innovation, services, and skills across the country, leveraging the clean energy transition to turbocharge growth.

Clean energy investors are clear that they want to grow in the UK and to invest billions here, but they cannot do this on their own. They need certainty, they need stability, they need a partner to take the first step with them in developing new technologies, and they need an incentive to expand supply chains. This is our plan to secure that growth, to back those Clean Energy Industries and unlock billions more in investment. To break down barriers to projects, to invest alongside industry where necessary, to ensure we create good jobs, to incentivise companies to build it in Britain.

This is the global economic opportunity of our time, and in an uncertain world, the Government's Missions to Kickstart Economic Growth and make the UK a Clean Energy Superpower are sending a clear message that we are unwavering in our commitment to these industries and to energy security. The net zero economy is already growing three times faster than the wider UK economy and we have seen over £40 billion of private investment in clean energy announced since July. Our Clean Industry Bonus smashed expectations, with £544 million for offshore wind developers to prioritise investment in regions that need it most, leveraging billions more in private investment, including in traditional oil and gas communities, ex-industrial areas, ports, and coastal towns.

Delivering Clean Power by 2030 will protect the economy and billpayers from the rollercoaster of fossil fuel prices, the cause of half of recessions since 1970.4 By harnessing the potential of AI, automation and advanced technologies we can optimise how energy is generated and consumed. The resulting modern, affordable, and secure energy system is fundamental to building a stronger and more productive economy. The UK will build an energy system that will bring down bills for households and businesses for good, bringing certainty, stability, and growth.

Growing our Clean Energy Industries and boosting domestic supply chains is fundamental to supporting wider industry to decarbonise. Growing our Clean Energy Industries and boosting domestic supply chains is fundamental to supporting wider industry to decarbonise. Foundational industries such as steel, chemicals, critical minerals, composites and other materials such as glass, provide critical inputs to enable growth in Clean Energy Industries.

This annex describes the experimental approach taken to assessing the growth required in the clean energy workforce from a 2023 baseline to 2030, where opportunities are likely to be located, and the types of occupations likely to be in high demand and relatively more difficult to fill.

Clean energy technologies encompass power generation, transmission and distribution, greenhouse gas removals, clean heat, and energy efficiency. The full list of sub-sectors is provided in Table 1 below. Clean energy jobs are measured as the number of jobs that are supported by the deployment and operation of clean energy technologies and their supply chains. This analysis covers both direct and indirect jobs, these employment categories can be defined as:

Induced jobs are excluded from this analysis; employment resulting from the spending of wages by workers in direct and indirect employment, leading to increased demand in other sectors.

This analysis does not measure net additional jobs across the economy. Much of the increase in workforce across clean energy sectors will involve workers who have transitioned from other sectors or will displace high carbon energy jobs; however, these effects are not accounted for as the evidence is not available. The analysis also does not capture replacement demand - i.e., the workers required to replace workers that leave the clean energy workforce.

There is inherent uncertainty in estimating the size of the 2030 clean energy workforce. The future size and geographic spread of the clean energy workforce will be dependent on delivery and final location of the pipeline of projects out to 2030, the ability to recruit into the sector, cost assumptions, any assumptions made about the ability of UK businesses to export overseas, and the validity of the assumptions made around the workers required to deploy a particular amount of technology. These estimates do not represent precise predictions; they are indicative of the orders of magnitude the clean energy workforce will need to increase by 2030 to meet demand in UK clean energy sectors and their supply chains (where possible, both domestic and global demand has been considered - see Table 1 for details).

The clean energy transition is the defining economic opportunity of the twenty-first century and the UK is uniquely positioned to lead it. The government's Plan for Change set out our ambitious mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower, which will kickstart economic growth and break down the barriers to opportunity as we create a new generation of good jobs across every corner of the country to deliver energy security.

Someone is going to win the global race for the clean energy jobs of the future and we are determined that it should be the UK. The job opportunities on offer are huge, with roles available across a range of skill levels and occupations, from plumbers to production managers, engineers to electricians, and technicians to welders. This presents a significant opportunity to revitalise our industrial heartlands and ensure that our existing home-grown energy workforce can move flexibly into good clean energy roles.

Clean energy is already providing good jobs to hundreds of thousands of people across the UK. Jobs in Wind, Nuclear, and Electricity Networks all advertise average salaries of over £50,000, compared to the UK average of £37,000. For young people, these jobs can offer higher levels of pay across occupations, with entry-level 'green' roles commanding a 23% average pay premium in around 60% of occupations. These jobs also provide the security of a rapidly-growing sector, as new and emerging green jobs are less likely to be automated and have had more resilience in demand than the wider jobs market in recent years.

However, we know there is more to be done. While the clean energy workforce is growing rapidly in the UK, by around 8% and 10% per year in 2022 and 2023 respectively, other countries have far more jobs per capita. For example, in 2023 Germany had almost 3 times as many renewable energy jobs per capita as the UK; Sweden and Denmark almost 4 and 5 times as many respectively. Across the economy, industry investment in skills has been falling in recent years with evidence suggesting significant underinvestment in the UK compared to our European peers.

The government's recent significant programme of investment in clean energy, alongside the Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan and this Jobs Plan, shows our firm commitment to ensuring Britain leads the world in the clean energy transition and creates the conditions needed for industry to accelerate investments in the skills system.

The United Kingdom is a thriving global economy founded on stability, fairness, and the rule of law, and propelled by world-leading sectors and companies. We have a record of extraordinary research and innovation; we are champions of openness and free trade; and we continue to be a magnet for international talent and capital.

Yet in recent decades the pace and magnitude of global change have escalated and the UK has been short of the dynamism it takes to stay ahead. The global trading environment has become more unpredictable, the fragility of global supply chains more apparent, and our economic competitors have been more assertive and disruptive in promoting their national industries. British workers and families have paid the price through a cost-of-living crisis.

Now more than ever, businesses are seeking out countries that can provide them with the confidence to invest and grow. As set out in the Plan for Change, the Government's priority mission is to deliver strong, secure, and sustainable economic growth to boost living standards for working people in every part of the UK.

Our modern Industrial Strategy will help us seize the most significant opportunities and create the most favourable conditions in key UK sectors for the companies of the future to emerge here - the ones that have a transformative role to play in the clean energy transition, the tech revolution, the fundamental impact of AI on every sector, and the new geopolitics.

To achieve this, the Government is focused on the critical need to increase business investment, capturing a greater share of internationally mobile capital, spurring domestic businesses to scale up, and supporting small and medium-sized businesses reliant on resilient supply-chains. This is about positive choices: backing eight sectors (the IS-8) with the highest potential, and the frontier industries at their leading edge - and targeting the places and clusters across the UK that support those sectors, to increase national productivity, strengthen our economic security and resilience, and support our environmental goals and the net zero transition.

To ensure the Industrial Strategy drives action we will track key measures of improvement across the whole economy, the IS-8, and places: business investment, Gross Value Added (GVA), labour market outcomes such as employment and wages; productivity growth; and exports. We will also track the number of new large homegrown' business across the IS-8. The Industrial Strategy and Sector Plans are underpinned by a robust monitoring and evaluation approach tracking the delivery of its policies, overseen by the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council (ISAC).

Invest 2035, our consultation, showed clearly where action must be taken, and how we need to shape the most globally competitive offer to business. The Industrial Strategy is not about a particular point in time or publication - it is a 10-year commitment and partnership. The Government has already started to take action on the issues raised by the eight sectors - from addressing the burden of regulation to the speed of planning - and we will go further in the critical areas identified, both immediately and in the months and years ahead.

Industrial strategies provide an overarching plan for the economy (or key parts of it) that aims to help the government achieve economic, social and/or environmental goals. However, there are many definitions and a spectrum of approaches to the degree and types of government interventions used.

This briefing summarises the government’s 2025 industrial strategy and explains key concepts in industrial strategy theory. It also sketches the international context and includes a brief overview of industrial policy in the UK over the last few decades.

This paper provides an international policy review on energy efficiency retrofit in owner-occupied homes and recommendations to apply best practices to the UK.

This working paper presents a review of policy design and implementation in OECD countries for increasing uptake of energy efficiency retrofitting in medium to high-income, 'able to pay' owner-occupied households. Renovation measures to help improve energy efficiency and decarbonise homes can include loft and cavity wall insulation, heat pumps and solar PV.

The review uses a rapid evidence assessment of academic and grey literature to address the following research question: Which internationally applied, good practice policies have the most potential to accelerate quality, energy efficiency retrofits of owner-occupied, 'able to pay' households in the UK?

The review reveals that residential energy renovations in OECD countries are mostly shallow single measures, with a small portion comprising multiple measures or deeper renovations. Although some countries such as France, Germany, the UK and the US have retrofitted millions of single measures to homes, this review has not identified any countries which have delivered deep home energy retrofit at a widespread scale.

We identify various review studies on policy instruments which have been applied in different countries and are considered important for implementing residential energy renovation. Policy instruments most commonly emphasised are regulations, financial support and information provision. Most reviews also include policies to develop workforce skills and competencies, supply chains and quality assurance.

Drawing upon our review of international and UK evidence, we make a series of policy recommendations for an effective home energy retrofit policy framework in the UK, with a focus on medium to high-income owner-occupier households:

This document is the supplementary written evidence from Professor Pam Thomas, CEO at the Faraday Institution, submitted to the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology following an inquiry evidence session on Tuesday 9 March 2021 for the 'Role of Batteries and Fuel Cells in Achieving Net Zero'.

Is the right strategy, funding and support in place to enable the research, innovation and commercialisation of battery technologies in the UK?
• If the UK is to play a significant role in battery manufacture and to decarbonise a range of industrial sectors, a larger and longer-term commitment in R&D of next generation energy storage technologies will be required.
• Funding for the FI's core research portfolio is currently maintained at £30m per annum.
• An additional £20m per annum (bringing the core funding to £50m pa) is deemed necessary to focus on new research problems that look beyond electrochemical aspects of battery research, for example, materials and systems engineering.

The ETI Natural Hazards Project is an initiative funded by the Energy Technologies Institute and delivered by EDF Energy, the Met Office and Mott Macdonald.

The project has produced a set of technical volumes summarising the state of the art on natural hazard characterisation for a variety of natural hazards. These are supported by a set of case studies. Each case study focuses on the application of the methodology and data outlined in the named technical volumes.

This document is a brochure for the launch event of this project titled Enabling Resilient UK Energy Infrastructure: Natural Hazard Characterisation Technical Volumes and Case Studies. This document discusses the context, importance, relevance, and outcomes of the project, along with additional locations for additional information.

The project has led to the development of a set of twelve technical volumes and case studies (found here), covering:

• An introduction to the technical volumes and case studies,
• Extreme High and Low Air Temperature,
• Extreme Wind,
• Extreme Precipitation,
• River Flooding,
• Coastal Flooding,
• Seismic, Volcanic and Geological Hazards,
• Hail,
• Lightning,
• Space Weather,
• Marine Biological Fouling,
• Hazard Combinations.

The aims of the technical volumes and case studies are to:

• Assist in the design of new infrastructure to ensure robustness to natural hazards now and into the future with climate change.
• Ensure that current infrastructure is adequately protected against natural hazards, in particular those emerging hazards researched as part of this project (e.g. space weather, hail, lightning).
• Inform investment decisions for new infrastructure projects as well as assisting with re-investment decisions to support life extension.
• Improve current operational procedures across the energy industry.
• Lead to better preparedness and response time during extreme event.

The purpose of this project is to identify, capture and communicate current relevant good practice when it comes to undertaking environmental risk analysis within the energy industry. This is done by providing access to well-structured and clearly documented good practice which can help avoid the use of outdated methods that could lead to the inaccurate specification of risk, resulting in inadequate or overly conservative infrastructure design. It is the absence of accessible and well-structured good practice that led to the Energy Technologies Institute's commissioning of its Natural Hazards Project.

Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) will reduce the risk and cost of the UK's transition to a low carbon energy system, according to this report delivered by the Energy Systems Catapult for the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI).

'Still in the mix? Understanding the role of Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage', takes into account recent cost reductions in renewables and the latest ETI modelling on CCUS costs. The report reaffirms previous ETI work on the importance of CCUS deployment by 2030 and ETI analysis that if CCUS is not developed at all before 2050, the 'national bill' for low carbon energy that year would be circa £35bn higher - equivalent to circa 1% of expected GDP.

The report highlights gas power with CCUS (up to 3GW) as an effective low carbon electricity option that can be deployed cost-effectively before 2030 within an electricity generation mix that meets the 5th carbon budget. The report concludes that early investment in gas power CCUS in favourable locations for a CCUS industrial cluster represents the most straightforward, deliverable and best value approach to early deployment of the technology.

Key points:

The ETI has spent 10 years carrying out extensive research on the deployment of CCUS and for this report commissioned analysis from Baringa Partners and Frontier Economics. Baringa explored cost-optimal pathways for decarbonising electricity out to 2050 with a focus on the pre-2030s. Frontier Economics produced illustrative analysis against a baseline scenario informed by the assumptions constructed by Baringa's work.

A range of evidence supports the role of carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) in delivering the most competitive and productive UK transition to a low carbon future.

The UK government has funded appraisal work on several of the many offshore saline aquifers potentially suitable for CO₂ storage. As a result, our knowledge base relating to these stores is high, and some stores are 'ready for business'.

Injecting CO₂ into saline aquifers pressurises them, and since each store has a limiting pressure for integrity reasons, this can limit the storage capacity and CO₂ injection rate, and so affect costs.

This paper, delivered by Energy Systems Catapult for the Energy Technologies Institute, describes the efficacy of a simple technique to alleviate this constraint - pressure is relieved by releasing the native water in the aquifer as it is filled with CO₂. This is termed 'brine production'.

This analysis reports the savings to the UK from deploying brine production in line with that needed to deliver lowest-cost decarbonisation pathways would be at least £2 billion, but would most likely be more.

This report is a surmised version of the 'ETI Insights Report - Smarter Charing a UK Transition to Low Carbon Vehicles: Full Report'. The report considers what a 2030 world would look like for PiV (plug-in electric vehicles) purchase and use to be at the levels foreseen in typical scenarios, where it would be possible to end the sale of pure fossil fuel vehicles by 2040 or earlier. It discusses the challenge - how to design and operate the energy system to make that possible. The report discusses three key questions:

The report highlights these key points:

This report is intended to be an update to the first ETI nuclear insight report released in October 2015, entitled Nuclear - the role for nuclear within a low carbon energy system, and for completeness also summarises developments in the UK nuclear context since 2015.

This insight report summarises the learning from the ETI's Nuclear Cost Drivers (NCD) project which was commissioned through open competitive procurement, delivered by the organisation now known as Lucid-Catalyst, and reported in April 2018. It also reports the learning from applying the nuclear cost drivers data and associated learning through sensitivity testing in the ESME whole system modelling tool now operated by the Energy System Catapult.

The NCD project report concluded that there was strong evidence of applicable cost reduction in the UK, but collective action is required against all cost drivers by all project stakeholders, including government, to bring about the integrated programme of activities necessary to realise this potential. The benefits of such collective action are largely realised through productivity improvements in direct labour and indirect services during construction, giving shorter, more predictable schedules and repeatable engineering. This report also proposes that some FOAK (First of a Kind) commercial plants that could be operational from 2035, could offer further transformational reductions in cost and consequential growth in economic opportunity through deployment in the UK and elsewhere.

This report therefore considers what a 2030 world would look like for PiV ( plug-in electric vehicles) purchase and use to be at the levels foreseen in typical scenarios, where it would be possible to end the sale of pure fossil fuel vehicles by 2040 or earlier. It discusses the challenge - how to design and operate the energy system to make that possible. This report discusses three key questions: The nature of the driver experience and the levels of service that could be provided by innovative use of modern internet technologies and infrastructure.

The kinds of public and private charging infrastructure that will be required and what this might mean for charging points in different locations, including the network upgrades required to support them. The integration and operation of the whole system including charging management, the effective carbon intensity of the added electricity load, and the impact on networks and the economics of generation.

The energy field for research, development and operation is very multi-disciplinary, it ranges over domains from psychology to heavy engineering, including materials development, economics, politics and agriculture. This spread of domains means that there is not a single community to develop agreed controlled vocabularies but many, each focussed on their needs.