Recommendation 58

We welcome the commitment to develop a Strategic Spatial Energy Plan, which is critical for long duration energy storage, but details remain unclear. We are unclear about the level of detail—for example, whether the Plan will be at the regional level or identify major facilities—as well as who will take responsibility for delivering on the plan once it has been developed by the Future System Operator. It is also unclear whether the plan will be given a statutory basis and how it will fit within the planning system. There is a risk that the Future System Operator develops a plan with substantial implications for national infrastructure and public expenditure, requiring coordinated action from many actors in the energy system, which the Government does not fully commit to, and so there is a lack of follow-through. ‘Endorsement’ of the plan may not be enough.