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First of a kind network infrastructure plan opens for public consultation
Strategic planning
30 Jun 2025 - 3
minute read
Proposals for a new strategic energy planning technical framework setting out the future transmission network infrastructure needed across Great Britain opens for consultation today (30 June).
The Centralised Strategic Network Plan (CSNP) methodology brings together electricity, gas and hydrogen transmission network planning beyond 2030 for the first time in Britain, helping the country achieve net zero by 2050 and drive economic growth.
Delivering a whole system view of the transmission requirements for all three energy sources, it will provide a 25-year roadmap for where infrastructure will be needed to transport energy from where it is generated to where it is consumed right around Great Britain.
The CSNP will consider the onshore and offshore electricity transmission networks needed, including cross-border electricity interconnectors and offshore hybrid assets, as well as a repurposing of the onshore gas transmission system, and future requirements for emerging hydrogen technology.
The plan takes into account the anticipated changes of each source as the energy transition continues and will be reviewed every three years, carefully balancing the needs of consumers, investors, communities and the environment.
How to respond to the consultation
From 30 June – 1 August, you can share your feedback on our methodology. To share your views, complete our consultation questions by 5pm on 1 August. The questions have been divided by topic into four surveys, which you see here.
Find out more
Watch our webinars and view our presentation slides to hear how we're taking a whole system approach to planning energy networks.
Julian Leslie, Director of Strategic Energy Planning at NESO:
“Our energy system is already changing to meet increasing demand, the government’s carbon budgets and the overriding need for security of supply and helping boost economic growth. As the independent organisation at the centre of Britain’s energy system, taking this coordinated approach to infrastructure planning is vital – not only to help drive investment decisions, but also to ensure everyone has access to reliable, clean and affordable energy.
“I would encourage as many people to share their views with us as possible, so that we can carefully consider the infrastructure we need to meet a predicted doubling in electricity demand by the middle of the century.”
Accelerating electricity transmission infrastructure
The CSNP will support our Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) by accelerating the delivery of electricity transmission infrastructure post 2030 – helping meet increased demand from electric cars, heat pumps and data centres, facilitating economic growth. It will also provide a considered strategy for the use of the existing gas transmission network, which while not expected to grow, could potentially be repurposed to cater for the emerging hydrogen market.
The plan will identify system requirement needs through vector-specific analyses; include detailed examination of economic, environmental, community, deliverability, and operability criteria to identify the best infrastructure; and establish the delivery phases for future upgrades.
