New feedback window open: RESP Methodology - areas for further development
In November 2025, we launched a six-week consultation on the RESP Methodology. The consultation invited our customers and stakeholders to provide feedback on our proposed approach to Regional Energy Strategic Planning (RESP). That consultation closed on 16 January 2026 and we are analysing all responses, which will inform the final methodology. We are due to publish the final methodology in the summer of 2026, subject to Ofgem and DESNZ approval.
NEW feedback window now open – methodology areas for further development
Since closing the consultation in January 2026, we have been developing further detail on specific areas of the methodology.
We anticipated this would be necessary when we published the consultation in November 2025, and Ofgem and our customers and stakeholders confirmed this view in their consultation responses.
What are the areas for further development?
We have undertaken work to provide additional clarity and technical depth on three areas of the RESP Methodology. These areas are:
- Spatial context for gas and biomethane
- Whole system optimisation
- Specification of strategic investment need
Share your views – 2 to 16 March 2026
On 2 March 2026, we published a document to share the additional work we’ve undertaken and have opened a new two-week feedback window, between 2 to 16 March 2026.
During the two-week period you can read the document and share your views through two routes: an online response form, using the link below and through attending our interactive online webinars where we’ll be asking participants to provide their views. See below for webinar details and registration links.
Who should provide feedback?
We expect that the subject matter of these specific areas for further development will be of particular interest to organisations and individuals with a more detailed level of knowledge and experience of energy system planning. However, we welcome feedback from all our customers and stakeholders.
Methodology - areas for further development document
This PDF document outlines the specific areas for review: spatial context for gas and bio-methane; whole system optimisation; and specification of strategic investment need.
How to respond
You can respond to the questions about the areas for development in two ways:
Firstly by using our online platform. For fairness and consistency, we require all written responses to be submitted through the platform. This is an online system where you will be able to answer a series of questions relating to our updated proposals. We have also provided a PDF version of the questions if you need to view them offline before using the online form. If you cannot respond using the Qualtrics form, please contact us via [email protected].
Submit your response Questions in PDF
You can also share your views by attending our interactive webinars. Please see details below.
Areas for further development: Interactive webinars
We are also inviting customers and stakeholders to provide feedback through the following online interactive webinars. The interactive webinars will be deep dive sessions into the three specific areas for further development, giving you the opportunity to provide feedback on our proposals. We will be making the webinar recordings publicly available on our website.
| Subject | Date | Time | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch webinar for four areas | 2 March | 1:00pm–2:30pm | Sign up |
| Interactive webinars | |||
| Specification of strategic investment need | 3 March | 10:00am–11:30am | Sign up |
| Whole system optimisation | 3 March | 1:00pm–2:30pm | Sign up |
| Spatial context gas and bio-methane | 6 March | 10:00am–11:30am | Sign up |
The launch webinar (on 2nd March) will give an overview of the document and three areas for development, and it will open the two-week feedback window and explain the process for responding.
Network Planning Assurance for Gas update
In previous communications, we announced that we will publish a new document on four specific areas of the RESP Methodology, giving our customers and stakeholders the opportunity to feedback via an online response form and to attend a series of interactive webinars.
Since then, we have reviewed our approach to network planning assurance with Ofgem and against the proposed RESP licence and guidance as well as methodology consultation feedback. This has led to the outcomes below:
We will not be publishing further details specific to network planning assurance for gas in the document we publish on 2nd March 2026, and we will not be holding the network planning assurance webinar originally planned for 4th March 2026.
This is because Network planning assurance happens as part of Ofgem's regulated distribution price control process and not as part of creating the RESPs. It therefore does not require a detailed section in the RESP methodology.
Network planning assurance is a new activity and will be introduced to ensure that electricity and gas distribution networks align with the regional energy strategic plans (RESPs). Ofgem will direct the electricity and gas distribution networks on how they are expected to use the RESPs as part of developing their business plans. This direction from Ofgem will also significantly inform NESO's future role on network planning assurance.
In the network plan assurance section of the RESP Methodology, we will therefore move to a higher level, more principle-based approach for both gas and electricity distribution networks. This will reflect Ofgem's role in setting out how distribution networks should use the RESPs in their business planning as part of a regulatory price control.
Alternative ways to get involved:
We will include an update on this in the launch webinar on 2nd March. For stakeholders already signed up for the network planning assurance webinar, we will invite you to the RESP Technical Working Group meeting in March/April 2026 where our revised approach to network planning assurance will be discussed.
If you have any questions about network planning assurance or other areas of the RESP methodology, please get in touch with the RESP team: [email protected]
Any questions?
If you have any questions about RESP in general or the RESP Methodology, please refer to our FAQs.
If you can’t find the answer to your questions, please contact the RESP team [email protected]