Madeleine Morris, Jeff Hardy, David Elmes, Rebecca Ford, Matthew Hannon, Cameron Hepburn, and Jonathon Radcliffe
September 2019
Decisions must be made now to ensure that electricity storage and electric vehicles (EVs) can be rolled out at a pace that meets carbon targets in a way that means they are smart and fit for purpose for the future. This is the finding of a quick scoping review of the policy and regulatory environment related to electricity storage and EVs viewed through the lens of smart local energy systems.
Electricity storage and EVs are considered key technologies for the transition to a smart, flexible and low carbon energy system. National Grid’s Future Energy Scenarios 2019 estimates that storage capacity could reach 14–28 Gigawatts by 2050, and the number of EVs on the road could reach 35 million - from around 200,000 in 2019.
We find that there are potential issues with definitions of storage, EVs and their associated infrastructure, as well as with a lack of visibility around who can own and operate these assets. While they both have the potential to deliver significant energy system benefits across multiple energy markets, there are barriers to market access and value stacking.
Tags: Storage; EV; policies; regulation; battery; governance; electricity; networks; distribution; infrastructure; grid