Whole electricity system
As Britain’s energy system operator, we’re right at the heart of efforts to transform our energy networks. The journey to creating an energy system fit for the future wouldn’t be possible without close collaboration with industry partners to help the transition. This partnership is known as a whole electricity system approach.
Distribution system operation (DSO) – the key to a smart, flexible electricity system
What is distribution system operation (DSO)? It means the distribution network operators (DNOs), who currently deliver electricity from the grid to homes and businesses, taking on more of a system operator role at a regional level. DNOs becoming DSOs is key to a smarter energy system, more efficient flexibility markets, and achieving net zero.
While we at NESO do not have an ambition to be a DSO, we recognise the need to evolve to facilitate the transition to DSO. This will play a part in ensuring that we can achieve net zero emissions at the least cost to the consumer.
In April 2021, we published ‘Enabling the DSO transition’, a consultation which shares our proposed vision for supporting the DSO transition and our draft version of a successful outcome by 2025. Strong collaboration across the industry will be pivotal to the success of the DSO transition, which is why we invited stakeholder feedback on our publication. The responses we received and a summary document are in the library below.
Download ‘Enabling the DSO transition’
Operational visibility of Distributed Energy Resources (DER)
As well as DSO, we recognise that greater operational visibility of DER is a key enabler to ensuring Great Britain meets its net zero ambitions. We recognise going forward that the current level of DER visibility will need to increase to understand more about the volumes and behaviour of connected DER to better plan and operate the transmission system. Critical to this visibility is the need for operational metering at a standard that works for all parties. In June 2022, we published our ‘Operational visibility of DER’ consultation, asking stakeholders for their views on our proposed guidance on operational metering specifications as we advance.
The way we generate and use electricity is changing
This is driven by the challenges of decarbonisation, decentralisation and digitisation. Watch this video to see how considering the whole system will create consumer value and enable zero carbon operation.
Share feedback on Enabling the DSO transition to Join our WES mailing list.
Let us know if you'd like to join our distribution system operation (DSO) mailing list to hear updates from the team.
DSO transition webinar
Listen to our webinar to find out how we propose to support the transition to Distribution System Operation (DSO) to help achieve a smarter energy system.
Enabling the DSO transition
Read our responses to your questions from two Distribution System Operation webinars we've hosted recently.
Facilitating the transition to a smarter, flexible electricity system.
Here are some initiatives already underway that are helping us meet whole system outcomes.
Regional Development Programmes (RDP)
RDPs look at the whole electricity system for areas of development for additional capacity, reduce constraints and open up new revenue streams for market participants.
Power Potential
This project aims to create a new reactive power market for distributed energy resources (DER) and generate additional capacity on the network.
Open Networks
The Open Networks Programme has brought together the electricity grid operators in the UK and Ireland to work together to deliver transformational change and will continue to deliver change at a rapid pace. This includes driving standardisation, open flexibility markets, providing better visibility of data and working across gas and electricity networks to build an efficient energy system that leaves nobody behind. For more information, visit the open networks page using the link below.
In this section you will find useful documents such as DSO Transition responses and archive papers.
ESO consultation responses
DSO transition responses May 2021
| Name | Published Sort ascending |
|---|---|
| Response from Flexible Generation Group | 2 Jul 2021 |
| Response from the ADE | 2 Jul 2021 |
| Response from Centrica | 2 Jul 2021 |
| Response from ELEXON | 2 Jul 2021 |
| Response from EPEX SPOT | 2 Jul 2021 |
| Response from SSEN Transmission | 2 Jul 2021 |
| Response from SP Energy Networks | 2 Jul 2021 |
| Response from the IET | 2 Jul 2021 |
| Response from Sembcorp | 2 Jul 2021 |
| Response from Citizens Advice | 2 Jul 2021 |
Joint Forum
| Name | Published Sort ascending |
|---|---|
| Joint Forum December 2022 minutes | 12 Dec 2022 |
| Joint Forum November 2022 minutes | 11 Dec 2022 |
| Joint Forum October 2022 minutes | 10 Dec 2022 |
| Joint Forum September 2022 minutes | 9 Dec 2022 |
| Joint Forum August 2022 minutes | 8 Dec 2022 |
| Joint Forum July 2022 minutes | 7 Dec 2022 |
| Joint Forum June 2022 mintues | 6 Dec 2022 |
| Joint Forum May 2022 minutes | 5 Dec 2022 |
| Joint Forum April 2022 minutes | 4 Dec 2022 |
| Joint Forum March 2022 minutes | 3 Dec 2022 |
NESO considers DSO to be a fundamental part of whole electricity system development. We are committed to working with Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) and other parties to facilitate the transition to DSO. Here we provide our response to Ofgem’s recent position paper on DSO.
We have prepared this paper to promote discussion on how decentralised energy resources can efficiently provide services to both NGESO and DSOs in a coordinated manner. To date, we have used the paper to support conversations with DNO’s, Ofgem and BEIS.
We’re interested to hear your views – please use the link below to join the conversation.
The traditional distinctions between transmission and distribution networks and processes are blurring. We need a whole system approach with our stakeholders to deliver services efficiently and effectively. As a stand-alone NESO we need to work with other stakeholders to facilitate whole system outcomes.
This paper discusses how the NESO role is changing to facilitate whole system outcomes and how this links to both the NESO roles and the Open Networks Project.
This paper looks at a world where the NESO works closely with DSOs to ensure routes to local, regional and national markets are optimised, in order to create value for the end consumer. We believe that this world provides a credible whole electricity system vision - but recognise that there are other potential pathways that need to be considered.
Here, we consider the key topics that we believe we need to focus on to deliver this future landscape. We are interested in your views -please email [email protected]
NESO is undertaking a wide range of activities to inform the development of Whole Electricity System. We achieve this through working with others and taking a ‘design by doing’ approach. This paper further describes our approach and what successful outcomes will look like for us. Additionally, recognising the wide range of initiatives NESO is involved in, we have developed this document to provide a reference at this point in time for all relevant transformational activities.