United Kingdom – The UK government has committed to creating a new public body to improve the energy system’s resilience.
The Future System Operator (FSO), which will be established once legislation has been passed and timelines have been discussed with key stakeholders, will examine the entire British energy system, integrating existing networks with emerging technologies such as hydrogen.
The FSO will be a new public body based on the Electricity System Operator’s (ESO) and, where applicable, National Grid Gas’ existing capabilities (NGG). It will work with energy suppliers and networks to balance the UK’s electricity systems and ensure that households and businesses have continued energy resilience and security of supply. It will also take on longer-term gas planning, providing strategic oversight of the UK gas system (but not real-time operation, which will remain with NGG).
Clean energy independence
The announcement comes ahead of the publication of the Energy Security Strategy, which will outline a strategy for ensuring Britain’s greater clean energy independence. The move is intended to increase energy providers’ and billpayers’ resilience. This will increase energy security while also ensuring that the clean energy generated by the UK’s burgeoning renewables sector reaches the homes and businesses that require it across the country.
The FSO will play a key role in shaping the energy system and facilitating competition, as well as overseeing new projects and integrating them with existing energy supplies, as a trusted and expert body at the heart of the gas and electricity systems.
The operator will coordinate and plan the network as a whole, considering electricity, gas, and other emerging markets like carbon capture, usage, and storage, as well as offshore wind networks. The FSO will also be responsible for providing independent technical advice and input to the government and industry regulator, Ofgem, in order to inform key strategic policy decisions.
