The report provides the Committee with information on electricity network capacity issues in the local grid and proposed routes of engagement with suppliers to determine future capacity.

The Committee received a report that provided information on network capacity issues in the local grid due to the growing energy demand and how this could impact on the ability to deliver a range of Local Plan and climate policy ambitions.

The report explained that the local electricity network was operated by the District Network Operator (DNO) which was Scottish and Southern Electricity Network (SSEN) for Reading and a large area of southern England.  The Borough was now facing network capacity issues in the local grid due to the delivery of various climate policy initiatives which were not previously a constraint on the council’s projects or housing delivery.  The grid capacity needed to comply with the Local Plan policy requirements, and might not be able to be secured due to the DNO placing restrictions on new developments if they generated new electricity consuming loads via heat pumps and/or EV charging points.

Officers had met with SSEN to discuss support of Net Zero and economic development.  SSEN submitted to the Committee a response to the report setting out a local position and work they would undertake with the Council. SSEN had informed the Committee that there were no restrictions, however, a case-by-case approach would be undertaken with more flexibility than previously understood.  The Council would also be able to engage with a Net Zero accelerator tool to support future demand modelling.

It was noted that discussions on the issue had taken place with neighbouring areas and partner organisations who shared the same concerns.  The report outlined several proposals including:

·         Direct engagement with SSEN

·         Indirect lobbying of SSEN

·         Local Area Energy Planning

·         Regional System Planning

·         Lobbying SSEN to fund work to enable council to be more ‘intelligent’ clients’ due to the complex policy area.

Resolved –

(1)          That the content of the report be noted;

(2)          That options to engage with Scottish and Southern Electricity Network from a local and regional perspective, with a view to determining how best to unlock capacity needed for environmentally and economically sustainable growth, as outlined in the report, be agreed.