Redpoint Energy advises DECC on grid access review

Redpoint Energy has strengthened its position as one of Europe’s leading energy consultancies to governments and regulators by advising UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) on a review designed to improve arrangements for managing grid access.

Adrian Palmer, Senior Manager at Redpoint Energy, said: “Britain’s ambitious target of producing 15 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020 requires rapid deployment of new generation sources. Given the remote locations of many renewable energy generation sources such as wind power installations, the local and wider grid network often has to be reinforced to transmit the power from where it is produced to where it is needed. The past policy of ‘invest then connect’, where the generator has only been connected once the wider system is ready to accommodate it, has proved satisfactory until now. However, Government recognised that the policy should be reviewed to ensure timely access to grid infrastructure for investors in renewable and other low carbon generation capacity.”

DECC’s decision, developed with the support of Redpoint’s analysis, is to adopt a ‘Connect & Manage’ socialised approach, to accelerate the integration of new generation on to the grid. The Government has now announced that the new regime will be implemented on 11 August 2010.

Palmer continued: “Drawing on tools developed in previous work for the Department, our analysis gave DECC the insight it needed to assess the implications of alternative policy options on generator investment decisions and transmission congestion costs. This allowed a more informed analysis of the ideal approach, weighing up the risks of missing renewable targets by not being able to bring new generation onstream, while managing the costs involved in resolving congestion on the network.”

Redpoint Energy has a strong track record in project delivery for DECC, Ofgem and other policy and regulatory bodies, and has undertaken a number of analytical studies in recent months, spanning areas including security of supply, smart metering, decarbonisation of the power sector and carbon capture and storage.