The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) announced last week (September 13) that the government has acquired National Grid’s Electricity System Operator (ESO).
From October 1, the UK’s energy system will be in public hands, overseen by the National Energy System Operator (NESO), which will be chaired by former E.ON CEO Dr Paul Golby. DESNZ says NESO will work with Great British Energy to deploy renewable energy and help connect new generation projects to the grid.
NESO was established through powers under the Energy Act 2023, which sets out the new government body’s responsibilities to maintain the UK’s energy supply, protect energy consumers and plan for an efficient clean energy system fit for the future.
The government agreed an enterprise value of £630 million to acquire the ESO from National Grid, subject to customary closure arrangements.
It will oversee the strategic planning and design of the UK’s electricity and gas networks, breaking down the silos that currently exist because the two systems are managed separately. Furthermore, it will seek to expand renewable generation, storage and other emerging technologies, such as the use and storage of carbon capture, mapping out Britain’s future energy networks.
Golby, the newly appointed Chairman of NESO, said: “NESO will support a more integrated and coordinated strategy to meet the unprecedented challenges of climate change, secure energy supplies and keep bills as low as possible.
“We will have broad strategic oversight of both the electricity and gas systems, managing system planning and market operations and ensuring our energy infrastructure is secure, resilient, flexible and future-proof.”
This article was originally published on our sister site, Current±.
