Plug in and power up: what we need to see in the upcoming Low Carbon Flexibility Roadmap

6 June 2025

The UK energy system is entering a decisive chapter, with the Government’s ambitions to deliver clean power by 2030 requiring a rapid acceleration of renewables deployment to replace fossil fuel generation in the coming years. But, as critical as this transition is, it will not be successful unless it is accompanied by supporting technologies and capabilities to ensure that the new system can securely and cost effectively function.

The upcoming Low Carbon Flexibility Roadmap - which has been jointly developed by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), Ofgem, and the National Energy System Operator (NESO) - is expected to set out the UK’s strategic vision for enabling and scaling up flexibility. For those of us working in renewables and storage, this represents a pivotal opportunity to reset and re-energise the national conversation.

The Roadmap is not just a policy document, it’s a mechanism to deliver a system that can decarbonise at pace while remaining secure, affordable, and resilient. Flexibility is the engine that powers delivery of our net zero future, but it is one that quietly whirrs, and is consequently easily missed. Whether it’s storage, smart EV charging, demand-side response, or co-located renewables, we need a system that can quickly shift, adapt and respond. That means clear policy, investable markets, and coordination across the board.

But what does the industry need to see in the Roadmap? There are five key areas where it must deliver.

1. Creating an investable market environment for storage

The market environment for storage is volatile, particularly so for battery storage, with market saturation affecting returns for developers and investors. The industry currently faces significant uncertainty on the future direction of travel regarding the Capacity Market, the Government’s Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA), and participation in the Balancing Mechanism.

To address this challenge and attract the capital and investment needed for the delivery of Clean Power 2030, the Roadmap should look at specific areas including:

• reviewing the Capacity Market in a way that can better reflect the value of new flexible technologies like battery storage (both standalone and co-located)


• moving away from pursuing sudden drastic shifts in policy that introduce investment risk, such as a switch to zonal pricing


• supporting a new suite of balancing and ancillary services to help manage network constraints through battery storage, whilst recognising that fostering investment in flexible technologies is essential to delivering the adaptive infrastructure the future system needs.

2. Progressing the Connections Reform and Network Charging Review

Whilst the TMO4+ connections reform package is welcome, there is very little scope for growth in the battery storage pipeline beyond 2030. As a result, the battery storage sector faces a significant period of uncertainty prior to the publication of the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan in late 2026, with both a lack of clarity for developers who are expected to be meeting 2028 – 2030 connection dates, alongside questions around the broader state of the sector beyond 2030. Against this backdrop, the Roadmap represents the perfect opportunity to set out a clear vision for how battery storage fits within Clean Power 2030 and beyond. There is also a concurrent opportunity to set the course for a review of network charging for storage in a way that fairly recognises the unique characteristics of storage and the benefits it provides to the network.

3. Unlocking flexibility and putting consumers at the centre

We can’t build a modern grid without active participation from households, businesses and communities across the country. Smart tariffs, flexible appliances, EV charging, and behind-the-meter batteries all have huge potential, but consumers need more than just the technology. The Roadmap will need to address this by clarifying how the potential of demand-side flexibility will be unlocked not just as an afterthought, but as a foundation of the clean power system.

4. Fixing technical barriers and enabling innovation

It is vital that we avoid a scenario in which outdated standards and regulations stand in the way of delivering investment and innovation in co-located hybrid projects. The Roadmap should address technical metering challenges to allow renewables and storage to work together under the Contracts for Difference (CfD) and Capacity Market rules, both by progressing reforms that enable hybrid metering in the CfD and by developing metering policy and technical specifications that allow for the development and operation of DC-coupled hybrid projects. Such measures would ensure outdated metering or compliance rules do not stand in the way of good projects.

5. Scaling up skills and building a resilient supply chain

People and infrastructure must be at the heart of flexibility in our future clean power system. The battery storage industry is still relatively new, with the technology behind it evolving rapidly, and there is a heavy reliance on original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to manage commissioning and testing, which cannot currently be handled by other entities. Additionally, maintenance work can only be completed by OEMs, which limits commercial opportunities and the ability to sufficiently train skilled workers. In response, the Roadmap should lay the foundations of a UK manufacturing base by fostering partnerships that will both reduce dependency on overseas support and grow the UK’s skills base. The industry welcomes efforts to support green skills, as set out in the Clean Power Action Plan, and will continue to work with Government on this.

In conclusion, we need to get this right

The Low Carbon Flexibility Roadmap must be more than just another policy document. It represents a unique opportunity to shape a system that’s smarter, fairer, and ready for a net zero future. The building blocks are already there, now it’s about scaling up what works, removing barriers, and creating a joined-up plan that gives industry, investors, and consumers the confidence to act.