ENW Electricity North West Smart Cities

The Smart Cities Development Conference is set to bring together senior leaders at the forefront of the Smart Cities agenda – and Electricity North West are one of those firms. Ahead of the conference we hear exclusively from Steve Cox, Director at Electricity North West:

 

Electricity North West is responsible for distributing power across the North West. How many people and businesses do you supply?

Electricity North West is the region’s electricity distribution network operator. We’re proud to power the lives of five million people in the North West. From heating homes to charging cars and streaming TV shows, we work around the clock to keep our customers switched on for today and tomorrow.

We’re investing £1.8bn from 2015-2023 in the overhead lines and underground cables that serve the region.

The way we use electricity is changing rapidly. We’re at the forefront of energy innovation, working with local communities, key stakeholders and expert partners to ensure everyone has the power they need when they need it.

 

The way electricity is made, used and stored is undergoing a huge transformation. How are you leading innovation for both now and the future?

The energy landscape is changing at a rapid pace, and although it’s uncertain how this will impact the North West, as the region’s electrical network operator it’s our responsibility to plan for the future, support local economic development, transition to a low carbon future and ensure that the network remains reliable and affordable. [emaillocker id=”71749″]

We’re planning for the North West’s energy future which could witness more than 2.5m electric cars on the roads and a 176 percent increase in electricity demand by 2050. Manchester alone is set to become carbon neutral by 2038 – the first city to do so.

These new technologies and goals are transforming the way that companies, communities and customers generate, distribute and consume electricity. Our regional networks are becoming smart and flexible at a significant pace and we’re proud to be leading the way.

 

New innovative solutions and technological advances are being made daily, and those could also lead to new customer behaviours – how are you keeping up to date and ensuring your network is fit for the future when the future is still unclear?

More and more electricity consumed in the UK is generated from zero carbon sources, much of it being produced locally, which is great news. However, such changes present major challenges and opportunities for us as a distribution network operator. We need to not only meet this challenge but also ensure bills continue to remain affordable for our customers and that the transition ensures electricity supplies remain reliable.

Whilst our customers and community groups are becoming energy producers, renewable energy sources such as solar and wind are intermittent and they will need flexible grid top-up. This will require us to actively manage the network in new ways.

At the same time, increasing demand for electricity for heat and transport will require us, as the network operator, to be even more innovative in our use of the existing network, to ensure capacity is available when customers need it. This will support our transition from our distribution network operator (DNO) to a distribution systems operator (DSO).

 

Collaboration within the construction and property industry is key to ensuring opportunities are maximised. Are you working closely with the public and private sector when planning and implementing future infrastructure and projects?

We have set out a clear vision outlining our innovative plans to meet the Government’s energy decarbonisation challenge by supporting people, businesses and energy producers across the North West region.

This evolution from the role of passive network operator to proactive distribution systems operator (DSO) is an exciting proposition and will see us develop entirely new relationships with our customers and our partners in the energy supply chain.

Our vision highlights eight key areas that will help achieve the region’s decarbonisation targets in our new role as active distribution systems operator:

  • Electric vehicles
  • Community energy
  • Renewable energy sources
  • New energy markets
  • Electricity for heat
  • Flexible consumption
  • Active consumer
  • Supporting economic growth

A major milestone in our transition to DSO was the recent launch of our first annual Distribution Future Electricity Scenarios and Regional Insights (DFES) report.

The North West is a diverse region with varied energy needs from urban Manchester to rural Cumbria and the new forecast uses intelligent tools for projecting electricity demand scenarios based on local information and conditions down to postcode level, which will help understand the differing energy needs and support the energy evolution.

The launching of our new DFES report is a game changer which will allow us to take our commitment to transforming into a smarter more flexible power network for the benefit of our customers to the next level.

We were delighted to secure the support of Greater Manchester’s Mayor Andy Burnham who said: “I welcome the opportunities that this report brings to stimulate carbon reduction and help meet our ambition of carbon neutrality by 2038; how we manage our future energy supply to match our future demand has a key role to play in this.

“Greater demand for electricity, as a result of more electric vehicles and heating, will create challenges for our future energy system.  We need to take a view across the whole system, which is already undergoing radical change towards greater decarbonisation, decentralisation and digitalisation; this report helps us to do this.”

 

The Smart Cities Development Conference is set to bring together hundreds of business leaders to drive sustainable and smart innovation across the UK. Why is this an important date in the industry calendar?

Manchester is a hub of activity and change and we’re proud to be leading the way in energy innovation in the city, including sponsoring the second Green Summit happening in March, alongside the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham. The Smart Cities Development Conference will help us showcase our work, share best practice and meet key stakeholders to help us continue our journey in transforming the energy network into a smarter, greener and more flexible network for the benefit of all our customers in Manchester. [/emaillocker]