Government responds to UK energy sector data sharing model

Proposals for a digital spine outlining commitments towards data sharing for energy infrastructure has been pitched to the government by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

The proposal is for data sharing infrastructure which will boost digitisation of the energy sector and improve energy security in a bid to achieve net zero targets. The study was undertaken by the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio in collaboration with Ove Arup, Energy Systems Catapult, and the University of Bath.

The study’s key call is for a minimum viable product to be built alongside the launch of a task group which would help inform the government on energy infrastructure decisions. By sharing the risks and impacts of the UK’s energy system, effective infrastructure could be developed and rolled out to ensure improved energy management and efficiency.

An example application of this system would be to identify vulnerable customers and inform on local energy planning and electricity flexibility which could improve energy costs and security for certain users.

“Without secure system-wide access to data, the UK’s ability to decarbonise the power sector by 2030 is at risk,” reads the DESNZ response to the study. “A revolution in the way that the energy sector shares information needs to take place.”

The plan is to deliver a pilot data sharing system, led by the Electricity System Operator, based on an outage planning use case in 2024 and minimum viable product in 2025. An Ofgem analysis of data sharing in the energy sector and its viability is set to be published this winter, with the government set to manage progress and publish an update in 2025.

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