techUK signs Ofgem Industry Letter on electricity grid capacity visibility

techUK has co-signed an industry letter to Ofgem about enabling access to more and better grid data.

The letter is co-signed by a strong and varied group of organisations such as REA, MAKE UK, RenewableUK Startup Coalition and more, coming together around the issue of electricity grid capacity visibility across the UK.

The electricity networks are becoming increasingly constrained. These constraints vary geographically. This means that there are some locations that it would be possible to connect more capacity sooner and at lower cost than others. However at present visibility of network capacity is limited.

Over the last few years Ofgem, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the networks have done a lot of good work to open up grid data: including better LTDS information, upcoming Common Information Models, and more.

But there are still important gaps in the data that is available. This has repercussions for investment and development of critical digital infrastructure such as data centres and other parts of the ecosystem.

The letter’s ask is clear:

A clear commitment from Ofgem to identify and close all data gaps needed for accurate grid capacity assessments within 12 months.

A priority lane for enabling access to critical gaps within the next 3 months.

Accuracy assessments, including clear quality metrics (for example, completeness, timeliness, and error rates), published methodologies, and periodic independent audits so users can trust the data and identify issues quickly.

Interoperability and accessibility, data needs to be interoperable between datasets and so should include common unique identifiers of any assets referenced in a dataset.

Unlocking the next wave of digital infrastructure investment and ensuring the UK benefits from key technologies for the future, such as AI, quantum and high-performance compute, requires clearer visibility of where power can be accessed and when. By publishing standardised, up-to-date grid capacity data across the transmission and distribution networks, the UK can accelerate data centre delivery, reduce unnecessary effort in the connections process, and provide a positive market signal to global investors.

Matt Evans, COO and Director of Markets

techUK

Members can log in to read the letter.

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