Our Whole System approach

The Energy Whole System

The Energy Whole System is the interaction between electricity, gas and liquid fuels, and how these energy sources best contribute to delivering net zero greenhouse gas emission energy for technology, communications, transport, heat and water.  

Traditionally, the electricity, gas and oil industries have worked separately to meet energy needs. Oil has dominated the transport sector. Gas has been used for heating homes and businesses, and for electricity generation. Electricity has provided energy for technology, lighting and industry (largely generated from coal and gas-fired power stations). 

In the past infrastructure for water, transport, technology and communications have also been designed independently of each other. 

The UK needs to adopt alternative sources of energy to power homes, transport and businesses reliably and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This will require a collaborative and holistic approach to infrastructure from organisations across multiple industries.  

A new Whole System will help to achieve the UK’s ambition of a net zero economy by 2050, and we recognise the key role we have to play. 
 

We have published Our Whole System Strategy, which you can download below. This document sets out: 

• the Whole System challenge  
• our approach to Whole System working and plans 
• our current Whole System projects  
• conclusions and next steps.
   

Whole System Strategy – May 2024

Whole System Coordination Register

The Whole System Coordination Register clearly and transparently demonstrates the processes and activities National Grid has undertaken to coordinate and cooperate with other electricity network licensees, and to consider proposals from systems users which seek to advance the efficient and economical operation of our network.

By publishing this register electricity network licensees, users and wider stakeholders can understand what opportunities have been identified and learn from them, advancing not just the electricity system but the wider Whole Energy System. The register demonstrates compliance with the Whole Electricity System Licence Condition 7A and will be updated at least once every twelve-month period.

The coordination register is evidence based, and detail active and completed actions, rather than forthcoming actions. The information included in the register comprises of details of:

• all relevant coordination and cooperation activities completed with other electricity network licensees to develop Whole Electricity Systems outcomes, including data sharing
• any actions or processes that have been implemented (or are being implemented) as a result of coordination and cooperation activities completed with other electricity network licensees, as well as a concise and clear summary of actions or processes not deemed to be apt for implementation, including the reason(s) for the decision
• all proposals received during a relevant period from system users to advance the efficient and economical operation of electricity distributors’ and/or transmission owners’ networks
• any system user proposal that have been implemented (or are being implemented), as well as a concise and clear summary of proposals not deemed to be apt for implementation, including the reason(s) for that decision.

The licence condition refers only to collaboration with other electricity network licensees for Whole System benefit. However, National Grid has also included in the register coordination and cooperation activities that have any actual or potential Whole System benefit for the planning and operation of the network, even if they only involve collaboration with other parties that are not electricity network licensees.

With the aim to continuously improve and also to reflect the nature of whole system, NGET  has collaborated with NGED to create and publish a single Whole System Coordination Register for 2024.

This joint approach will enable other network licensees and users to engage and collaborate with us more efficiently and effectively.

If you have any questions or suggestions, we'd love to hear from you at: [email protected].
 

2024 Whole System Coordination Register