Energy minister gives NESO until end of 2027 to submit spatial energy plan

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has formally directed the National Energy System Operator to submit the first Strategic Spatial Energy Plan by 31 December 2027, a year later than originally required.

The direction, published on GOV.UK on 23 October 2026, takes the form of a one-page letter from the Minister for Energy to the National Energy System Operator (NESO). It moves the submission date to the Secretary of State from 31 December 2026 to 31 December 2027.

DESNZ said the revised deadline formally reflects a timeline revision first set out on 4 December 2025. The direction applies to England, Scotland and Wales and covers only the first Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP).

Why the plan slipped

NESO said on 5 December 2025 that it and DESNZ had decided to re-run the SSEP modelling using the latest data. In its letter to NESO at the time, DESNZ said updated cost and demand data were being built into the modelling, and that the purpose of the change was to maintain the quality and credibility of the plan while aligning it with the latest information.

Julian Leslie, Director of Strategic Energy Planning at NESO, said when the revised timetable was announced: "NESO remains committed to ongoing engagement and openness throughout this process."

Under the original programme NESO published in May 2025, pathway options were to go to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero in the fourth quarter of 2025, with the plan published in 2026. Ofgem and the Secretary of State formally approved the SSEP methodology in May 2025.

The December 2025 revision moved the pathway decision to summer 2026, with public consultation on the draft SSEP in early 2027. NESO said the final SSEP would be delivered in autumn 2027, a target that sits ahead of the formal 31 December 2027 backstop now written into the direction.

NESO also said delivery of the Centralised Strategic Network Plan (CSNP) and the Regional Energy Strategic Plans (RESPs), which follow on from the SSEP, is now planned by the end of 2028.

Where the process stands

NESO submitted its Pathway Options Report to the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments on 28 August 2026. According to NESO, the report sets out six pathways showing what energy infrastructure Great Britain could need, where it could go and when it might be needed.

The UK Energy Secretary will now consider the six options and select the government's preferred pathway, NESO said, with the Scottish and Welsh governments in a formal advisory role.

Background

The SSEP was jointly commissioned from NESO by the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments in October 2024. The first plan focuses on electricity generation and storage and hydrogen assets. The government said at the time that the more strategic approach to planning would help accelerate its clean energy superpower mission.

NESO describes the SSEP as the first overall plan for Great Britain's energy production and storage from 2030 to 2050. It takes a zonal approach to locations and, NESO said, will not identify or recommend specific projects to be delivered.

Kayte O'Neill, Chief Operating Officer of NESO, said in May 2025 that the strategy would "provide the clarity investors, network companies and customers need for the years beyond that".

What happens next

The direction covers the first SSEP only. DESNZ said Ofgem intends to consult during 2027 on amendments to its relevant licences covering the timing of subsequent SSEP cycles and related strategic energy planning processes.

The December 2025 GOV.UK page on the timeline extension was updated on 23 October 2026 to confirm that the formal submission deadline has been extended to 31 December 2027 by letter to NESO.