The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero recognises the potential for community batteries to help households access cheaper, clean electricity, including low-income households without the up-front capital required for a home battery, those living in flats, and households that lack the space needed for installation.

The Department has launched a Call for Evidence to explore how community battery schemes could be scaled up, exploring their benefits, existing barriers to delivery, and how safety can be ensured. This will ensure communities, including those in Fylde, can share in the benefits of the energy transition.

The Department recognises the potential for community batteries to help households access cheaper, clean electricity, including those without the up-front capital required for a home battery, those living in flats, and households that lack the space needed for installation.

Evidence from existing schemes suggests that community batteries can reduce energy bills by reducing peak electricity use and enabling export to the grid.

However, the Department has not made a final assessment of the scale of these savings. It has therefore launched a Call for Evidence to gather further information on this and other issues.

In an unstable world, the only way to guarantee energy security and protect billpayers is to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels. That is why government has a mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower.

We have a sustainable, long-term plan to protect all UK billpayers, including the people of Fylde, from volatile international gas markets. Backed by £8.3 billion, Great British Energy is part of this plan, driving the deployment of the clean, homegrown energy we need to boost our energy independence. As a publicly-owned company, Great British Energy will ensure UK taxpayers, billpayers, and communities reap the benefits of this.

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) considered the onshore and offshore network as a whole when conducting the assessment of options to connect the Morgan and Morecambe offshore wind projects to the onshore grid as part of its Holistic Network Design (HND). The assessment considered factors including substation capacity and community and environmental impacts of substation extension, if required to support offshore connections.

National Energy System Operator (NESO) considered the environmental impacts of the proposed Morgan and Morecambe windfarms cabling corridor and substation as part of its Holistic Network Design (HND).[1]

The developers, BP and EnBW, have submitted detailed environmental assessments addressing the impacts on biodiversity as part of the Morgan and Morecambe transmission project planning application.[2]

^{[1] https://www.neso.energy/publications/beyond-2030/holistic-network-design-offshore-wind}

^{[2] https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/wp-content/ipc/uploads/projects/EN020032/EN020032-000718-Morgan%20and%20Morecambe%20Offshore%20Wind%20Farms%20Examination%20Library.pdf}

National Energy System Operator considered the onshore and offshore impacts of the proposals for the Morgan and Morecambe windfarms cable corridor and substation on sensitive habitats as part of its Holistic Network Design.[1] Following this, the developers BP and EnBW submitted detailed environmental assessments as part of the project planning application, which include assessment of the impacts on specific species such as badgers.[2]

^{[1] https://www.neso.energy/publications/beyond-2030/holistic-network-design-offshore-wind}

^{[2] https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN020032/documents?date-to-day=6&date-to-month=12&date-to-year=2024&itemsPerPage=25&lang=en&page=8}

National Energy System Operator (NESO) recommended the transmission infrastructure required to connect Morgan and Morecambe offshore wind projects to the grid as part of its Holistic Network Design (HND). In producing the HND, NESO assessed multiple onshore and offshore design options against future generation and demand scenarios, existing infrastructure in the National Electricity Transmission System, and total capital and operational costs. NESO then used an economic optimiser to determine the optimal economic design from the options.

The Electricity System Operator (then ESO, now NESO) assessed connection to the Stanah substation for Irish Sea windfarms alongside other substations in the Northwest and North Wales as part of the Holistic Network Design.[1]

ESO identified that Stanah substation would require extension to accommodate the Morgan and Morecambe offshore windfarms. Due to limited space, a new substation would be needed, with associated time and cost. Access was challenging due to residential and recreational surroundings, and there were environmental constraints around Morecambe Bay.

In contrast, Penwortham had a more accessible footprint, fewer constraints, and better electrical connectivity to the wider network.

[1] https://www.neso.energy/publications/beyond-2030/holistic-network-design-offshore-wind