Great Britain has been on a transformative journey to decarbonise its energy system, positioning itself as one of the fastest in the G7 to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
On 1 October 2024, a pivotal moment reshaped the UK’s energy future as the privately run Electricity System Operator transformed into the National Energy System Operator (NESO) — now a government-owned public corporation.
It’s a game-changing shift that unites the management of electricity and gas networks for the first time, streamlining efforts to deliver cleaner, more reliable energy.
WATCH: On October 1 2024, the privately owned Electricity System Operator became the National Energy System Operator, an independent, public corporation owned by the Government.
NESO’s mission goes beyond simply reducing carbon emissions. It’s focused on taking a whole system approach to the nation’s energy infrastructure, ensuring that power is not only clean but also reliable and affordable for households and businesses alike.
Managing energy prices
In practice, NESO will oversee the real-time balancing of supply and demand across both networks, enabling the smooth integration of renewable energy sources like wind and solar.
This is important as the nation continues to pivot towards renewable energy, which now contributes significantly to the UK’s power generation.
As well as its environmental and reliability goals, NESO is tasked with making sure that energy remains affordable for all. Energy prices have been a major concern for both the public and industry, and by driving efficiencies in how the system is managed, NESO aims to mitigate the impact of price volatility.
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