National Energy System Operator to launch in October

Electricity and gas network planning is to be brought under one roof, with the launch of the new independent National Energy System Operator (NESO)  on 1 October. The energy system will be planned by the new publicly owned organisation as part of a new, more strategic approach to help to deliver clean power by 2030, says the government.

NESO will help to connect new generation projects with the electricity grid, working alongside Great British Energy to deploy renewable energy. The government has agreed with National Grid to acquire the Electricity System Operator, which will be transferred to public ownership.

NESO will be chaired by former Eon CEO Paul Golby, with Fintan Slye as chief executive officer.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband says: “Today marks a milestone for Britain’s energy system as we bring the system operator into public ownership to provide impartial, whole-system expertise on building a network that is fit for the future.

“The new National Energy System Operator has a huge role to play in delivering our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower. We need to move Britain off expensive, insecure fossil fuel markets and on to clean, cheap home-grown power that we control. This is how we reduce bills in the long term, strengthen our energy independence and support skilled jobs across the country.”

Currently, there is no single body responsible for overseeing the strategic planning and design of the country’s electricity and gas networks. The government says NESO will fill this gap, breaking down the siloes between the planning of electricity and gas systems, with independent oversight for the design of all energy networks.

The government’s Mission Control has already given NESO one of its first tasks, to provide advice on how the UK will hit its goal to deliver clean power by 2030.