Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has published the first in its series of Strategic Development Plans, which lay out the future of the network.
Over the next 12 months, SSEN will produce strategic development plans for each of its Grid Supply Points in its central southern England and Northern Scotland licence areas. The first plan centres on the Ealing Grid Supply Point, where the local grid for much of West London connects to the higher-voltage transmission grid.
Each of the strategic development plans will address how the potential increase in electricity demand can be managed, as parts of the country experience pressures, such as deploying an increasing number of electric vehicles (EVs) and electrifying more of their heating.
The first plan is currently available in draft form, and is open for consultation until the end of this month.
Andy Wainwright, whole systems manager at SSEN Distribution, said: “The publication of our first Strategic Development Plan in draft form is a big moment for us, as these will be blueprints for our future plans. They will also provide our communities with a clear sense of our intentions when it comes to building an electricity system that will help us all get to net zero.
“As we put the vision for Ealing in West London out for consultation, I’d encourage the people and groups who’ve got a stake in our plans to take a look at the new detail contained within it, and tell us what they think.”
A local focus for grid futures
SSEN is not the only organisation considering the future of the UK’s grid on a local level. Earlier this week, the UK’s energy regulator Ofgem published proposals for the development of independent Regional Energy Strategic Plans (RESPs) that will map how clean energy and flexible grids can be tailored to met the needs of various regions across the UK.
Commenting on Ofgem’s announcement, Wainwright stated: “We welcome the regulator Ofgem’s recent decision to open consultation on its own proposals for the creation of a Regional Energy Strategic Planning function.
“We believe this is vital and will provide additional structures and co-ordination around Local Area Energy Planning. This is something we believe in deeply here at SSEN, and it’s an area we’ve already done a huge amount of work on.”
