Local area energy plans

Local area energy plans home Future energy Facilitating net zero Local area energy plans Local area energy plans Local area energy plans or LAEPs are aimed at driving effective local action towards the UK's 2050 net zero greenhouse gas emissions target. LAEPs provide local leaders with an action plan that considers local and national efforts, incorporating technical insights, non-technical aspects and stakeholder engagement. We're here to provide technical support and to release network capacity where and when it's needed. Contact us   What is a local area energy plan? A local area energy plan (LAEP) is a comprehensive, ground-up approach that guides a region towards achieving net zero emissions. It encompasses a whole system approach meaning all parts of the system are mapped including energy supply and demand, transport, buildings, local industry and the environment. These plans incorporate not only technical considerations but also account for non-technical elements and new technologies. The primary goal of a LAEP is to outline the most efficient and economical route for decarbonisation in a local area, providing a clear action plan. LAEPs span areas ranging from individual cities and districts to county councils and combined authorities, aligning with various levels of local governance. They bring together diverse stakeholders such as energy companies, industries and community groups with a process that involves continuous collaboration leading to data-driven, realistic action plans that are regularly updated to accommodate technological, local and political changes. How we facilitate local area energy plans Our role as the North West’s electricity distribution network operator is to support local authorities by ensuring the electricity network can handle the expected extra capacity and grid connections as well as reducing peak energy demand via 'smart' or flexible electricity systems. We're here to provide technical support, transparent data and assist in the development of local area energy plans. We offer: Regular meetings with each local authority  Workshops for combined authorities Our network development engineers as a designated point of contact for your LAEP A series of guides and templates to help you develop your LAEP which you can access below. We're proud to have supported Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) in the development of its LEAPs - a 'trailblazer' city region, the first to complete LAEPs at scale. The Local Authority Common Ask As the region's distribution network operator (DNO), we work with gas distribution networks (GDNs) Cadent and SGN to collaborate with local authorities to support their LAEPs or climate action plans. Together we have developed the Local Authority Common Ask template. This new template only needs to be completed once by the local authority and shared with their local GDN and DNO. The inputs from the local authority can then be utilised by DNOs and GDNs to inform network planning decisions and investments.  Download the Local Authority Common Ask template ZIP Common Ask Template 29.1 MB - 6th Feb 2026    Your local area energy planning contacts Christos Kaloudas Capacity Strategy Lead manager View profile for Christos Kaloudas Ivan Bolotkov Network Development Engineer View profile for Ivan Bolotkov Antonella Maria De Corato Network Development Engineer View profile for Antonella Maria De Corato   Supporting documents  Below you will find a series of documents which provide help and support on LAEP development and where to go for more advice and information. Enhanced LAEP engagement support - a review of the help and support available via our dedicated in-house team Jargon buster - a helpful list of key industry terms, technologies, electrical units and acronyms to help guide you through the LAEP process LAEP high level process - a guide to the help and support for your LAEP development available at SP Electricity North West LAEP and planned developments template - Excel template designed to help you start the development of your own LAEP LAEP and planned developments template for more details - more detailed Excel template for your local energy planning. PDF Jargon buster 313.5 KB - 3rd Dec 2025 PDF Enhanced LAEP engagement support 534.5 KB - 31st Mar 2025 XLSX LAEP and planned developments template for more details 66.7 KB - 20th Sep 2023 XLSX LAEP and planned developments template 19.9 KB - 20th Sep 2023 PPTX LAEP high level process.pptx 984.5 KB - 20th Sep 2023 You may also be interested in Distribution future electricity scenarios We hold all of our smart street PDFs and documentation, covering strategy, implementation and much more. You can view this information by clicking the link and opening one of the files or downloading it Read more Network Development Plan Our Network Development Plan (NDP) shows where new connections are suitable and where flexibility services may be advantageous. It also provides information on how we intend to create capacity over the next ten years. Read more Embedded Capacity Register The Embedded Capacity Register provides information on generation and storage resources (≥50kW) that are connected or accepted to connect to our network. Read more Book a meeting Please fill out our short online form to schedule a meeting with our team at a time and date that suits your convenience. Book today Email the team Have a question or would like some help with your local area energy planning, email the team today Email us Your guide to energy jargon We heard that some new to the conversation struggle to understand the acronyms and there was a request for a jargon buster to help. So we've created this two pager to help those new to conversations in the energy industry. Jargon buster