NESO to begin Strategic Environmental Assessments

• As part of its strategic energy planning works the National Energy System Operator (NESO) is conducting statutory environmental assessments for some of the future network plans it is delivering. 
• Following the publication of Pathway to 2030 and Beyond 2030 reports setting out a Holistic Network Design for the coordination of offshore electricity generation NESO will now undertake additional delivery works to support an implementation plan for these latest network designs.
• To support the Holistic Network Design – Implementation Plan, NESO will conduct a Strategic Environmental Assessment, Habitats Regulations Assessment and Marine Conservation Zone Assessment across the next twelve months.
• This Strategic Environmental Assessment will be undertaken by consultants RPS on NESO’s behalf and will be conducted across the country, in line with the Pathway to 2030 and Beyond 2030 report recommendations. 
• A copy of NESO’s Strategic Environmental Assessment Determination is available at NESO’s Warwick offices and on its website.

Following the publication of Pathway to 2030 and Beyond 2030 reports NESO will now undertake additional delivery works to support an implementation plan for these latest network designs for Great Britain’s National Electricity Transmission Network.

These network designs include those involving offshore coordination of future offshore electricity generation through the Holistic Network Design (HND), Holistic Network Design Follow Up Exercise (HNDFUE), Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) and Celtic Sea projects.

Given the size and scope of the design exercise, NESO will carry out several environmental assessments, including with a Strategic Environmental Assessment that will ensure NESO’s final network design recommendations have given the appropriate level of consideration to environmental concerns. 

A Strategic Environmental Assessment is a systematic process to evaluate the likely significant environmental and socio-economic effects of proposed policies, plans and programmes. A Strategic Environmental Assessment also considers reasonable alternatives and inter-relationships with other plans and programmes. A Strategic Environmental Assessment provides for transparent decision making, requiring public consultation and publication of results of the consultations in decision-making.

Additional assessment works are already underway to conduct a Habitats Regulations Assessment and a Marine Conservation Zone Assessment.