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National Grid: Infrastructure

Asked by Wera HobhouseLiberal DemocratDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled Answered 17 July 2026UIN 17383

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential for empowering local authorities to assess flexibility and microgrid opportunities before pursuing network buildout, in the context of the recommendations in the ADE: Demand report entitled Powered by People, Powered by Place.

Answered by Michael Shanks

The Government has noted the Association for Decentralised Energy's report, Powered by People, Powered by Place, and recognises the importance of local evidence in identifying flexibility and other opportunities before network investment decisions are made.

The Regional Energy Strategic Plans (RESPs) methodology, being developed by the National Energy System Operator, proposes bringing together local authorities and stakeholders to help provide a whole-energy and bottom-up view of how local energy systems need to evolve to meet local and national priorities. Distribution Network Operators would remain responsible for detailed network planning, including flexibility, microgrid opportunities and network investment, informed by RESP outputs.

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