Our mission is to help get to net zero by:
- Creating the capacity customers need to adopt Low-Carbon Technologies.
- Building a simple, accessible system that means everyone who wants to, can get involved.
- Using Flexibility Services efficiently to enable faster connections.
- Responding to current and emerging network needs quickly and innovatively.
Our focus areas
- We’re planning our networks for the long-term, taking the right steps to proactively and efficiently release capacity.
- We’re deploying our DSO toolkit of strategic investment, access products and Flexibility Services.
- We’re demonstrating the effectiveness of our decision-making processes and how we ensure transparency.
- We’re giving access to transparent and accessible real-time data to enable whole-systems coordination.
Our priorities
Our focus is to make changes and improvements quickly, while implementing the long-term programmes that will build essential new capabilities and systems.
This will see us working on long-term network design, and immediate capacity release through flexibility and strategic investment. We'll prioritise engagment in the communities hosting network improvements.
To achieve all this, we'll focus on:
- Planning the net zero electricity system that's fit for 2050, through our sector-leading and forward-looking Strategic Development Plans, which will be published for wherever you live and work in SSEN's licence areas.
- Making real-time, granular network data and decision-making transparent to support coordination, further innovation, and trust in the industry.
- Providing sector-leading support for communities to help get to net zero, developing the strategic plans to release further capacity, before it's needed.
- Continuing to adopt a Flexibility First Approach, making participation in Flex markets more straightforward and transparent, through the publication of our product roadmap, and by our use of a third-party market platform to support procurement growth, in coordination with the national system operator.
- Ensuring inclusion, fairness, and transparency in the flexibility market, particularly for smaller businesses and vulnerable customers.
Our achievements so far
More flexibility procured – we’ve procured over 700MW of Flexibility in 2023/24, helping release more capacity, faster.
New connections progressed – we’ve unlocked 7GW of additional capacity through the technical limits programme and ramping of new connections, where more capacity will be released over time.
Data harnessed – we're the first network operator to publish full half-hourly smart meter data consumption datasets. This development means electricity demand can be modelled with greater accuracy.
Local energy planning – our Local Energy Net Zero Accelerator (LENZA) tool is now giving dozens of our local authorities the visibility they need to make well-informed planning decisions for their local communities.
Vulnerable people protected – We’re the first network operator to enshrine care for our most vulnerable customers in our plans for the future electricity system.
How we're responding to your feedback
Prior to publishing the latest Action Plan, we spoke to stakeholders the length and breadth of our licence areas on all aspects of DSO functions, engaging with a total of more than 500 people.
They told of us how important it was for DSO functions to be enablers of local flexibility and community energy markets, especially given the new UK Government’s target to deliver clean power by 2030, and the step-change in activity this will bring about.
- In response to this, we’re committing to accelerate the benefits of domestic and local flexibility and consult on our
Community Energy Strategy.
Our stakeholders were also vocal about the need to improve the pre-connections customer experience - that’s the stage before people make actual applications to connect. Specifically, they told us they couldn’t find the data needed or apply it in the context of their plans.
- To improve this, we’ll hold Connection Opportunity Data workshops, to help customers understand more about
the opportunities open to them.
These are just a couple of the decisions we've taken in swift and direct response to your feedback. Read the full Action Plan below to find out more about our forthcoming plans.