Executive Summary
- NESO’s Clean Power 2030 outlines pathways to a grid with less than 5% unabated gas, requiring 23-27 GW of new battery energy storage by 2030.
- Increased renewable generation would lower average power prices by 20%.
- Grid connection reform and accelerated transmission upgrades are critical to meeting battery buildout targets, with NESO prioritizing "ready" projects.
Subscribers to Modo Energy’s Research will also find out:
- How Balancing Mechanism revenues could shift as transmission constraints evolve.
- Why the North of England and South Scotland are key regions for battery development under NESO’s scenarios.
- Whether Clean Power 2030’s targets are realistic given current policy and market conditions.
To get full access to Modo Energy’s Research, book a call with a member of the team today.
Introduction
On Tuesday November 5th, NESO published ‘Clean Power 2030’, its practical advice to the government on achieving a power system in 2030 in which less than 5% of generation comes from unabated gas.
Unabated gas is gas burned without processes to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions it produces.
To achieve this, renewables would need to be built out at an unprecedented rate. 5 GW of offshore wind would be added to the system per year—5x the current buildout rate. Upgrades to the transmission network, rapid growth in energy storage, and the buildout of low-carbon dispatchable generation would all be required to enable this.