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.
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.
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.
Ray Arrell reflects on the process pioneered by Regen back in 2015 – and how it has developed into a detailed, bottom-up approach to regional network planning.
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.
We are pleased to showcase this year's key achievements in our annual review, which details how we've worked together with our members, partners and friends to overcome barriers in the energy transition and make progress towards a just transition to net zero energy.
Merlin Hyman OBE
Anna Ali
The Electricity Storage Network has responded to the National Fire Chiefs Council consultation on revised planning guidance for grid-scale energy storage, calling for more clarity in certain areas and further changes.
Alex Temple
Olly Frankland
In this introductory blog, Polly Meyrick, this year's artist in residence, shares her thoughts on what she’s discovered so far and how she plans to respond to the residency theme: celebrating changemakers.
Polly Meyrick
Regen sets out the priorities for newly-established Onshore Wind Industry Taskforce.
Rebecca Windemer
Rachel Hayes
As part of Innovate UK's Net Zero Living programme, Regen has produced a briefing guide for local authorities about the Regional Energy Strategic Plan (RESP) policy framework.
Mollie Atherton
Poppy Maltby
Fraser Stewart
The announcement of a jump in the budget for the next Contracts for Difference allocation round, from £1bn to over £1.5bn, falls short of the doubling that industry had called for, but will nevertheless provide a much-needed uplift for renewable projects.
Johnny Gowdy
Regen, in partnership with the Carbon Trust, is proud to have supported the Welsh Government in developing this pivotal strategy.
Sophie Whinney
Hazel Williams
With a raft of policy announcements, the launch of GB Energy and a sobering progress report from the CCC, plus the 2024 FES pathways, it's been yet another busy week for the energy sector.
Regen associate director Ray Arrell summarises the main themes emerging from the 2024 Future Energy Scenarios analysis.
Ray Arrell
Grace Millman
Our paper ‘Accelerating Clean British Power’ sets out advice on the first actions needed from the new Labour government to put the country on course to drive forward its vital clean power mission.
Jonty Haynes
Today, the new government has removed the planning restrictions on onshore wind. Here, Rebecca Windemer summarises the changes and what we expect to see next.
Our latest insight paper sets out an agenda for an efficient GB electricity market that increases low-carbon investment and delivers consumer value.
As a key driver of local change, Dorset Council has taken an innovative approach to integrating barriers and mapping solutions locally, with help from Regen.
Alex Robertson
Regen has worked with the Energy Networks Association (ENA) to provide input to the future design and function of the Regional Energy Strategic Planners (RESPs), focused on the interaction between RESPs and DNOs.
Frank Hodgson
In our response to the government's recent call for evidence on the barriers to community energy, we've focused on the challenges facing generation projects, on the basis that the barriers around energy efficiency and retrofit require wider system change not specific to community energy.
Robbie Evans
Prina Sumaria
Labour’s election manifesto promises to bring in much-needed changes to the planning system – but lacks detail on some critical aspects for delivering net zero.
Rebecca Windemer summarises the recommendations made by the Environmental Audit Committee as a result of the inquiry and outlines the additional steps we believe are necessary to achieve the transition to renewable energy.
With pre-election debate over green energy targets ramping up, we discuss what we actually mean by ‘clean power’ – and why ambition and leadership are equally important.
This report, funded by the European Climate Foundation, examines five issues that project developers and planners have told us are the key challenges for the planning system for renewables and storage in England.
Regen welcomes the National Infrastructure Committee's 2024 progress review, which calls for 'a concerted catch-up programme' to ensure the country's infrastructure is fit for the future.
Regen has worked with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks and Environmental Project Support on this SIF Discovery phase project looking at non-network solutions to the barriers facing renewable energy generation on the Isle of Wight.
Ellie Brundrett
Tamar Bourne
Regen has worked with the MCS Foundation on a paper looking at what's needed to ensure the distribution network is ready for net zero.
This paper, sponsored by SSEN, sets out new thinking on the role of Regional Energy Strategic Planners and how processes today, such as network and local area energy planning, can evolve to unlock regional net zero ambitions.
In our response to the second Review of Electricity Market Arrangements consultation, we welcome the decision to drop nodal Locational Marginal Pricing and a Split Market and recommend now dropping zonal pricing.
Simon Gill
Becky Fowell
The Electricity Storage Network has responded to the second REMA consultation, calling for more details ahead of any final decisions in mid-2025.
As part of our DFES work for SSEN, we developed new 'vulnerability and just transition' scenarios that support more targeted investment ahead of need in lower-income areas.
Regen's response to the consultation on an 'accelerated planning system', co-signed by the Centre for Sustainable Energy, urges government to include – and prioritise – renewable energy projects.
Commissioned by Somerset Council, this guide sets out the current evidence on the energy system in Somerset and analyses the local resources to inform a potential Net Zero Pathway for the county.
Tamsyn Lonsdale-Smith
Regen has worked with Innovate UK to develop a Playbook for Network Innovation which gathers learnings from previous innovations to support future innovators on the journey to successful implementation and commercialisation.
Rebecca Ford
Christine Chapter
Regen has responded to the latest round of the UK government's consultation on heat network zoning, highlighting two key improvements to focus on.
Regen was commissioned by the University of Strathclyde to synthesise the huge body of research conducted in the EnergyREV programme and identify key recommendations and next steps for delivering smart local energy systems.
On 7 March, Regen hosted the first National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) Net Zero Communities webinar of the year.
Regen and the Electricity Storage Network have responded to the Department for Net Zero and Energy Security (DESNZ) Long Duration Energy Storage consultation on a new cap and floor scheme.
Regen director Johnny Gowdy argues that, if we have another energy price spike, consumers will again be exposed to higher electricity prices as, once again, the government is lagging behind the market.
Government has proposed several positive changes to the current Contracts for Difference scheme that aim to address the complex challenges expected of the transition to net zero. However, the devil is in the detail.
Strategies for building a community around your CMS.
Chloe Uden
Poppy Maltby outlines four key challenge areas that have emerged so far in the design of the Regional Energy Strategic Planners (RESPs) and possible solutions for local areas and electricity networks.
This report for climate charity Possible explores the potential for new community-owned onshore wind projects to unlock part of the puzzle of making clean, alleviating fuel poverty and protect consumers, the climate and national energy security.
Regen CEO Merlin Hyman welcomes Ed Miliband's announcement that a Labour government would overturn the effective ban on onshore wind in England as one of its first acts if elected.
Following Regen director Johnny Gowdy’s appearance at the ESNZ Select Committee hearing on locational marginal pricing (LMP), Regen has now a submitted further written statement and evidence to the committee.
Regen and the Electricity Storage Network have responded to Ofgem's ten-year review of the Capacity Market rules consultation.
Regen and the Electricity Storage Network have responded to the Ofgem call for input on the Transmission Constraint Licence Condition, following a members' workshop on the issue in mid-January.
The evidence case report for the Outer Hebrides is the first of three studies that will help SSEN better understand the investment needed to enable a net zero transition for Scottish island communities.
Regen was commissioned by ClimateXChange on behalf of the Scottish Government to explore how local and community-owned energy could help drive Scotland’s just transition.
Regen director Johnny Gowdy gave evidence to the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee on a flexible grid for the future, alongside representatives from FTI, Octopus Energy and Citizen's Advice.
Following the announcement in December that the Viking Link interconnector has begun commercial operation, Ellie Brundrett provides an update on GB's current interconnector pipeline.
Last week, Regen market insight duo Johnny Gowdy and Ellie Brundrett were invited to brief MPs on the issue of network constraints and what can be done to reduce rising constraint management costs.
Ofgem's consultation on how it intends to regulate gas networks during the RIIO-3 price control period raises questions about the future rise in gas network costs and eventual decommissioning, argues Frank Hodgson.
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