UK100 has submitted a response to the National Energy System Operator's consultation on the Regional Energy Strategic Planning methodology. The submission examines how RESPs can effectively involve local government in strategic energy planning and create thriving places powered by clean energy.
It outlines key priorities for the RESP process:
Welcoming a formal role for local government: UK100 welcomes the proposed governance structures that give local authorities a formal decision-making role and vote in shaping Regional Energy Strategic Plans for the first time. This represents an important step in ensuring energy planning reflects local priorities and delivery realities.
Meaningful and resourced engagement: Local authorities are expected to play a central role in informing RESPs, yet they currently have no statutory duties on energy and widely varying levels of capacity, expertise and resource. Without dedicated support, there is a risk that engagement will favour areas with stronger institutional capacity, reinforcing regional inequalities.
Recognising Local Area Energy Plans: Where Local Area Energy Plans exist, they should be formally recognised and valued within the RESP process. In Welsh and Scottish contexts, these plans have been supported by devolved governments and must be given appropriate weight.
Ensuring RESPs support local priorities: The RESP process should be genuinely bottom-up and support, rather than cut across, established local priorities and delivery processes. Local actors need clarity on how their inputs translate into decisions.
Building local capacity: A robust model of local actor support should be co-produced with local government and organisations like UK100. Early-phase support is critical, and the most intensive support should be front-loaded.
UK100 highlighted several important considerations:
- Strategic Boards should be designed to promote consensus-building, with clear guidance on voting, decision-making and how dissenting views will be addressed.
- Working groups should include a mix of technical experts and local authority officers to ensure outputs reflect both system requirements and place-based realities.
- RESP Pathways should be communicated as scenario-based options using clear, non-technical language, supported by interactive digital tools.
- Societal considerations should be built into decision-making and trade-offs, not evaluated after decisions are made.
- The data approach should align with existing datasets and reporting requirements to avoid duplication and stakeholder fatigue.
The submission also noted UK100's interest in contributing to the GB Steering Committee as a network that uniquely bridges the energy sector and local government, bringing together political leadership and delivery insight from across different geographies.
Overall, UK100 called for continued collaboration with NESO to ensure RESPs remain strategic, vision-led processes shaped by local priorities and statutory spatial planning, helping communities across the UK create thriving places powered by clean energy.
