energy storage battery systemGovernment lays out actions to support rollout of energy storage at scale

When looking at a energy storage battery system – the Government recently issued its response to the Environmental Audit Committee’s report published in May 2024 regarding the lack of long-term energy storage.

In its response, the Government set out the steps it is taking to remove market barriers to support the rollout of energy storage projects at scale.

The Government highlights the Market-wide Half Hourly Settlement Programme Steering Group – comprising Elexon’s Programme Management function, industry representative, the Independent Programme Assurer and Ofgem – which reviews the ‘most serious programme risks and agrees how best to mitigate them’.

Within its response, the Government outlines key risks and how the Programme and Ofgem are working to address them.

Key actions outlined include that the National Energy System Operator (NESO) will develop a Strategic Spatial Energy Plan in 2026 that feeds into a Centralised Strategic Network Plan, to be published in 2027; that the Government will review the need for an electrification roadmap; and that the Government is reforming permitted development rights in England for the installation of air source heat pumps.

Within its response, the Government stated that it ‘agrees with the importance of long-duration energy storage’ (LDES) as a key enabler to a secure, cost-effective and low carbon energy system.

It noted that the Government will ‘continue to work with NESO’ in the preparation for next steps on delivery of the LDES cap and floor scheme.

The response emphasised the importance of the rollout of clean and flexible energy technologies – such as heat pumps, electric vehicles, battery storage and demand side response – to minimise the scale of generation and network capacity require, therefore keeping system costs as low as possible.

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