The Energy Networks Association (ENA) has launched the first consultation for a new electricity network innovation strategy, which it announced in August.
The strategy will set out how electricity networks intend to provide value for money through their innovation projects and how they will share the lessons learnt with other organisations and integrate them into their day-to-day operations.
“As we move to a low-carbon economy, we are seeing a massive change in the energy system with the increase in low carbon distributed generation, electric vehicles, storage and flexibility services such as demand side response,” said Geoff Murphy, lead engineer in the commercial and innovation team at Scottish Power Energy Networks.
“Along with opportunities, these changes also present challenges and innovation will play a fundamental role in addressing them. A customer-centric approach to tackling these challenges must be at the heart of the innovation strategy in order for it to be successful, which is why stakeholder engagement and feedback must be encouraged.
“It is important the widest possible range of stakeholders are engaged and have the opportunity to take part in this process.”
The consultation is being conducted through an online questionnaire which features structured questions as well as an opportunity to provide broader comment on the challenges faced by electricity networks.
Responses will be anonymised and the themes identified in the feedback will be used to inform a draft strategy document which the ENA intends to submit to Ofgem in March 2018. The deadline for submissions is 6 October.
The ENA said the consultation is the just the first part of a wider engagement programme which will include more comprehensive consultation and events later this year. The association is also developing an equivalent innovation strategy for gas networks.