The move towards a low carbon electricity network containing more distributed energy resources brings with it new challenges. One of these is how we restore electricity services should there be a national outage.
Distributed ReStart, a project backed by National Grid ESO, SP Energy Networks and consultancy TNEI, represents a world-first effort to prove the technical and commercial feasibility of using distributed energy resources to reboot the power grid if a national blackout should occur.
The clock is ticking as the project draws to a close because National Grid ESO is hoping to include distributed energy resources when it begins procurement for its next round of regional restoration contracts. A move it hopes will support compliance with a tougher new restoration standard which comes into force in 2026.
But can distributed restoration become business as usual? And how can the process be accelerated?
This Utility Week report, created in association with the partners behind Distributed ReStart, examines how far the project has brought us in understanding the technical and commercial feasibility of distributed restoration services. We also explore stakeholder views on whether this progress is enough to secure their confidence in such an important system failsafe and where they think the project needs to go next.
Download the report to learn more about how stakeholders feel about:
- The readiness of suitable communications systems to underpin distributed restoration
- The development of procurement principles for distributed restoration
- What is required to support further trials across distribution networks
- How the Distributed ReStart projects and its findings should be taken forward and funded
- And more…