This edition of Paper of the Month is a POSTnote co-authored by Abigail Collins, a final year PhD student in the Photoactive Materials group, written during her recent 3-month Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) Westminster Fellowship,  sponsored by the Royal Society of Chemistry. POSTnotes are an impartial, easy-to-read and peer-reviewed policy briefing designed to make scientific research accessible to the UK Parliament and the public. The topic is chosen for its current scientific merit and potential impact on government policy.

Local Area Energy Planning (LAEP) is a relatively new process designed to deliver effective local action to contribute to the 2050 net zero emission target. The Government’s 2021 Net Zero Strategy estimates that 82% of the UK’s emissions are “within the scope of influence of local authorities”. Using technical evidence on the whole energy system, wider non-technical factors, engagement with stakeholders, and clear governance, LAEP provides a net zero ‘action plan’ for local leaders that also accounts for action at the national level. By taking a more proactive, whole-systems, data-driven approach to energy planning, LAEP aims to deliver cost savings and a more managed energy transition. 

Abi’s POSTnote considers how effective the process of LAEP is in delivering the necessary energy system changes required at the local level using the early examples of ‘trail blazer’ local authorities that are adopting the process. It explores how a LAEP is created using modelling and analysis systems and the technologies employed to inform the process. The briefing also considers the emerging evidence from the current examples of LAEP alongside common aspects of regional plans for power, heat, transport, industry and the environment.

Figure: Arial view of a local urban area. Credit: Photo by Louis Reed on Unsplash