What we said we’d do

Our outputs for this priority will benefit current and future consumers through lower costs, continued reliability of the network and quicker progress to a clean energy system. Our outputs include:

• We commit to create a more innovative, creative and performance-based culture across our organisation
• We will explore how digitisation, artificial intelligence and data sharing could reduce our asset management costs
• We will deliver a programme of innovation focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, such as finding and using alternatives to high carbon materials on the network and opening up the Deeside innovation testing facility to all organisations
• We commit to improve how we work with stakeholders on innovation, being more accessible, easier to work with and creating a joint innovation monitoring framework with all energy network companies

The whole electricity system is becoming more integrated and other sectors are becoming ever more dependent on energy (e.g. transport and heat) as they drive towards net-zero emissions.

This stakeholder priority is about being innovative for our customers, stakeholders and ultimately the end consumer. Our Innovation Strategy has been developed with our stakeholders.

The engagement we had as we were building our RIIO-T2 business plan with our stakeholders gave us really clear feedback on what was important. This is the basis of our business plan for 2021 – 2026 and continues informing us as to how we work as an organisation. It was clear that our stakeholders fundamentally want a reliable and resilient network that can support the changing energy system, while keeping bills low and having transparency in explaining our performance.
 

What we’ve done

To ensure we deliver what our stakeholders need, and considering the role of innovation specifically, we have been working on:

• Exploring how digitisation, artificial intelligence and data sharing could reduce our asset management costs
• Delivering a programme of innovation focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, such as finding and using alternatives to carbon intensive materials on the network, such as SF6
• Opening up the Deeside innovation testing facility to all organisations to support the acceleration and deployment of innovative technologies across UK networks
• Improving how we work with stakeholders on innovation, being more accessible, easier to work with and creating a joint innovation monitoring framework with all energy network companies

We strive to be innovative in everything we do, an example can be seen in the first year of RIIO T2, where we delivered our commitment to provide enhanced services through the trial System Operator:Transmission Owner (SO:TO) Output Delivery Incentive, resulting in over £39.4m reduction in transmission system constraint costs.

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2021/22 was the first year of RIIO-T2 and innovation funding has changed, with the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) replacing the Network Innovation Competition (NIC), sitting alongside the Network Innovation Allowance (NIA) mechanism that existed previously. 

Further information about our focus areas and approach during the first year of RIIO-T2 can be found in our Innovation Annual Summary, that is published on our website.

View more information on focus areas 
 

Our innovation in numbers

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What we’re going to do

Since publishing our business plans in December 2020 the world has changed, and so have we. We’ve seen increases in the level of our decarbonisation ambitions in the UK, together with a renewed focus on energy security – all of which is reflected in our evolving approach to innovation during the new regulatory period. We are revising our innovation strategy to ensure we continue to meet the needs of our stakeholders and you can hear more about this in our webinar which will take place in the coming months.

If you want to read more about the progress we are making, visit innovation.