Utility Week

16 | MARCH 2022 | UTILITY WEEK Electricity distribution Interview M oving to a decentralised electricity system is key to meeting the UK's net-zero commitments, but this new system must also meet the needs of the local communities it will serve if it is to be a successful transition. For that to happen, local authorities must be central to the conversations around local energy planning. How- ever, this is currently not the case, according to Polly Billington, chief executive of UK100, a network of local government leaders. Although interactions between local authorities and Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) have increased in recent years, they are not happening at the pace or scale needed. Billington says that while local authori- ties are being lined up for new roles such as identifying areas for heat network development, these responsi- bilities cannot be handed out without the necessary resourcing, and increased support from the energy industry. The first step in that journey is building understand- ing on both sides of the priorities and mechanics of the different sectors. UK100 is also calling for a more formal range of measures, such as regulatory obligations on DNOs and a national framework from government to ensure local area energy planning happens with local authorities, rather than to them. Complexity DNOs have to engage with a huge number of councils across their operating areas and get to grips with their different functions and powers, because they vary depending on the different tier of government. Their responsibilities also vary according to other factors, such as devolution agreements for combined authorities, which see different metro mayor have differ- ent powers. "I find quite oŽen when I'm talking to the energy sector that they want local government to understand energy more, which I agree is important if we are to transform the energy system to meet the needs and demands of communities," says Billington. "How- ever, the energy sector also needs to understand local government more and why local government has such a key role. "Dealing with hundreds of district councils, along- side metropolitan boroughs and county councils and metro mayors, can be quite overwhelming, so under- standing what we do at regional level and the coordina- tion that is needed is really important." Local authorities have an interest in a wide range of sectors that need decarbonising through proper design and market creation, such as transport, planning, build- ing standards, retrofit, and electric vehicle charging. Public transport, in particular, is an area that dem- onstrates why proper engagement with local authorities is so vital. In order for commuters to Sheffield or Greater Manchester to be able to complete their journeys via low-carbon public transport door to door, networks might actually have to start in Derbyshire. "That requires a lot of regional coordination and collaboration, and it requires DNOs to understand how communities work and move around in those places and what powers local authorities have got, because transport, for example, is operated differently in South Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, and indeed Derby- shire," Billington explains. Equally, some of the bigger authorities have strategic planning powers which dictate where and what types of housing is put in that area, what the standards are, whether there are electric vehicle charging points and if there is public transport to support that housing. "Local authorities which have got public transport powers, if they want to decarbonise their buses, they are "The knowledge and understanding of the energy system that DNOs have needs to be shared with local authorities with an open mind." Polly Billington, CEO, UK100

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