Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to take steps to ensure that demand-side assets are given equal prominence to generation in the Regional Energy Strategic Plans (RESPs).

The Government recognises the important role of demand-side assets. This is reflected in the Regional Energy Strategic Plans (RESPs), which the National Energy System Operator (NESO) is developing to support whole-system distribution-level planning across energy demand, supply, storage and flexibility. NESO will develop RESPs with local actors, network operators and wider stakeholders, helping to ensure demand-side assets are appropriately considered in RESP outputs, including Pathways and Consistent Planning Assumptions. A ‘Consumer and Commercial Demand Working Group’ will also be established for each region.