Johnny Gowdy examines plans to extend the Electricity Generator Levy and introduce a new Wholesale Contract for Difference for legacy generation assets, asking whether these measures are likely to reduce bills or provide meaningful protection for consumers in the near term.
Regen has partnered with DESNZ, Great British Energy and the Local Net Zero Hubs to create training and guides to support confident, consistent and timely decisions on applications for low-carbon energy generation, storage and network infrastructure.
In this first paper in a new insight series, we unpack what transmission constraints are, why they've increased and what's really driving the costs.
With more than half of GB’s current onshore wind fleet expected to face end-of-life decisions by 2035, repowering is a critical but overlooked consideration that will shape the UK’s future energy security. This paper highlights the barriers holding back onshore wind repowering and sets out urgent actions to unlock the potential of the existing fleet.
As part of the 2025 DFES update, we conducted an analysis of the growth and impact of data centres in National Grid Electricity Distribution’s licence areas. This paper summarises the potential future uptake of data centres, the geographical factors driving AI growth in particular areas, and commentary on the wider network and societal impacts of data centre development in the UK.
Our latest paper considers recent biomethane supply projections and assesses the likely feasibility of this ‘green gas’ replacing fossil fuels for consumer use.
With planning a critical enabler of net zero, our latest briefing explores the scale of the challenge and some of the practical solutions already being explored by local planning authorities.
With zonal pricing now ruled out, Johnny Gowdy considers the challenges and opportunities still facing the government to deliver investment and meaningful benefits for consumers before the next election.
Data centres are increasingly being seen as essential for economic growth, yet their rapid expansion raises uncomfortable questions about fairness and public value, writes Grace Millman.
Grace Millman
In July 2024, Labour came to power with an ambitious ‘clean power mission’ at the centre of its governing agenda. Now, with a change of leadership, we assess progress and what the next steps must be for the incoming Prime Minister.
Anna Ali
Rebecca Windemer
Alex Temple
Merlin Hyman OBE
Following her Churchill Fellowship trip to New Zealand, Rebecca Windemer reflects on the country's fast-track consenting route and whether the UK could use a similar approach to help reduce planning delays for clean energy projects.
Regen’s new tracker shows that cleaner electricity increasingly coincides with lower prices – but the link between green energy and cheaper bills depends on market design, gas dependency and who can access flexible tariffs.
Tamsyn Lonsdale-Smith
With more than 60% of homes in Northern Ireland relying on oil for heating, we argue that the proposed heat pump grant should be brought forward to avoid households being locked into another year of fossil fuel volatility.
Andrew Brand
Battery Energy Storage Systems Explained provides clear, evidence-based answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about battery storage, aiming to help MPs and communities understand the latest industry thinking and good practices on 10 key topics.
Becky Fowell
Olly Frankland
Renewables are bringing energy generation back into local landscapes, making questions of land use, ownership and community benefit more visible than they have been for generations. In this blog we ask if they can become a catalyst for positive change.
Robbie Evans
Holly Hoban
Regen has responded to the Warm Homes Fund call for evidence, advocating for flexible, place-based approaches that empower local authorities and communities to identify the best solutions within their local context.
Alex Robertson
Planning is central to the energy transition. It allows projects to move from proposal to delivery. Yet too often, planning becomes a source of delay and uncertainty for developers trying to bring forward vital infrastructure and for planners working within increasingly complex systems. Here, we discuss how the process can work better for both.
Published alongside our response to DESNZ's siting levers consultation, this blog sets out Regen's views on the key themes shaping Reformed National Pricing and the reforms needed to deliver a cleaner, lower-cost electricity system.
Andrew Barry
Regen's response to Ofgem's call for input on locational charging reform argues that TNUoS must support delivery of the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan and be designed alongside wider reforms under Reformed National Pricing.
In this first in a series of reflective blogs from her Churchill Fellowship project, Rebecca Windemer reflects on the role of the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner and why a similar figure could help support the UK’s energy transition.
The Electricity Storage Network has responded to Ofgem’s call for input on reform of locational charges and regulatory siting levers under Reformed National Pricing.
As the SSEP approaches a major milestone – with one of six pathways set to be chosen by the Secretary of State this summer – we explore how strategic coordination can enable more equitable outcomes and call on NESO to ensure the SSEP follows core guiding principles on justice and transparency.
Following on from our paper Building Blocks, which identifies the key features that underpin successful, inclusive community-led energy action, Robbie Evans explores what future capacity-building programmes need in order to be genuinely empowering.
Regen's new Electrified Heat Transition Tracker brings together data on heat pump deployment across the UK, creating a live resource for policymakers, local leaders and the wider heat sector.
Peter Griffin
Meagan Reasoner
Patti S
Lizzy Herratt
Johnny Gowdy examines how policymakers are working with industry to address the issue – and asks whether this could serve as a blueprint for a more rapid, collaborative approach to market reform.
Johnny Gowdy
Plug-in batteries could help millions more households access the bill-saving benefits of home energy storage. With plug-in solar now on the way, Regen argues that the government should make plug-in batteries next.
Frank Hodgson
Medium-scale industrial and commercial clusters are common across the UK, but their energy use and decarbonisation needs can be difficult to assess consistently. New Regen research for Midlands Net Zero Hub sets out a flexible method for understanding these sites and identifying practical routes to lower-carbon energy.
Our developer survey highlights trends in how renewable energy projects respond to community feedback, the role of opposition in planning outcomes and the distinct engagement dynamics associated with battery storage projects.
Jessica Hogan
Hazel Williams
Marie Allen
The LUF introduces a more joined-up approach to managing competing demands on land, with clear implications for energy infrastructure. This insight considers its interactions with the SSEP, including where the approaches align and where further clarity is needed.
The government, Ofgem and NESO are reforming the way in which large demand projects connect to the grid. Regen welcomes demand connections reform and has responded to both the government's consultation and Ofgem's separate call for input.
Faced with the second energy crisis in five years, the government has announced a further package of policy interventions to accelerate the net zero transition and the clean power plan, while providing greater resilience for consumers from future energy shocks. Johnny Gowdy explores further in our accompanying paper.
As Innovate UK’s Net Zero Living Programme draws to a close, we’ve gathered Regen’s 16 published papers into one place, to help local authorities access and utilise the insight gained from dozens of innovative projects across the country.
Anna Cuckow
The Electricity Storage Network has responded to NESO’s call for input on reform proposals.
Regen’s response to NESO's call for input on balancing settlement and dispatch reforms supports targeted balancing reforms to improve efficiency and reduce costs, but cautions against restricting market activity or reintroducing centralised dispatch.
Our paper The Best Laid Plans argues that local net zero planning is entering a new phase, where RESPs provide a shared evidence base and regional pathways and local resources are focused on the specifics of delivery.
Regen has responded to Ofgem's consultation on the future role of DNOs in supporting the rollout of low carbon technologies, supporting a strengthened coordination role.
Rachel Hayes
TLDR: Almost certainly not, but reducing gas demand could.
In this insight, we look at what the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan will mean in practice and how it will shape planning decisions.
Regen has worked with Innovate UK to create Local Energy Trackers for every local authority in the UK. The tool brings key datasets together in one place, helping councils, policymakers and communities better understand local progress and where action is needed.
Poppy Maltby
This year’s winners reflect the breadth of innovation happening across the UK – from community-led energy models and local authority retrofit to whole-system thinking and pioneering individuals shaping the direction of the transition.
In our response to the recent call for evidence on electricity market reform, we reiterated our support for Reformed National Pricing and emphasised the importance of delivering coordinated reforms that improve system operation, reduce constraint costs and accelerate investment in clean power.
Regen's consultation response welcomes EPC reform and many of the government’s proposals, while also calling for key changes.
Since 2016 Regen has worked with the Welsh government to track how energy is generated and used across Wales. This year’s edition brings generation and use together into one report for the first time, offering a clearer picture of the transition.
Shona R
Christine Chapter
Bruce Bardsley
Our response to the government’s consultation on reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework supports the direction of travel, but calls for the changes to go further.
As oil and gas costs begin to climb once more, the government faces a familiar challenge – how to protect those most at risk while building an energy system that reduces exposure to future shocks. Grace Millman argues that the UK must move beyond blunt, crisis-era interventions and build a fairer energy system that properly supports households most exposed to energy price shocks.
As part of Innovate UK's Net Zero Living Programme, Regen and the Carbon Trust piloted a new approach to identify, quantify and map community capacity to provide a more complete picture of vulnerability and resilience across three local authority areas.
Working with London Councils and Repowering London, Regen has created guidance to help time-constrained local authority officers enable community energy in their borough to flourish.
Prina Sumaria
Regen has responded to the UK government’s call for evidence on how the market for corporate power purchase agreements (CPPAs) in GB can be strengthened.
Ahead of International Women’s Day, Rachel Hayes reflects on running Regen’s women in renewables (ReWiRE) network – and on the impact of its mentoring programme, now in its 10th year.
Developed with National Grid Electricity Distribution, this paper demystifies the planning process in England and Wales, offering a step-by-step guide to how projects are developed, assessed and approved.
Our new guide for Innovate UK's Net Zero Living Programme sets out how to leverage local authority functions to drive a fair energy transition.
Fraser Stewart
Regen has responded to Ofgem’s consultation on the next steps of its end-to-end review of the electricity connections process.
Hannah Stanley
With delays in getting Gate 2 offers to developers, Merlin Hyman summarises where things currently stand for the connections reform programme – and what the key issues are that now need addressing.
.jpg)
.jpg)
%20(1).jpg)
.jpg)
