As the UK focuses more on achieving its Net Zero targets, electrification of local and national infrastructures will bring many challenges and opportunities in all aspects of the energy system – societal, commercial, technical, and regulatory.

The Future Energy Scenarios published by the Electricity System Operator (ESO) in 2021 (FES 2021) outlines three possible future scenarios that ensure that GB meets the goal of Net Zero by 2050. These scenarios present fundamental choices that go beyond the technical infrastructure of the energy system and require careful consideration of the structure of the marketplace to meet the new energy trilemma: reliable, environmentally sustainable and equitable.

This paper explores how the technical, regulatory, commercial and societal challenges faced by Distributed Energy Resources could be addressed to support the delivery of Net Zero targets.