UK Power Networks and the UK’s National Energy System Operator (NESO) have achieved a landmark first energy dispatch using their new MegaWatt Dispatch initiative which is believed to mark an innovative, and quicker, way to connect cleaner energy into the electricity system faster, cheaper and more efficiently.
This is the first time that energy from local sources – like small generators and battery storage – connected against transmission constraints has been dispatched specifically to manage transmission network constraints. Following successful trials in 2025, it has shown that smaller, flexible energy sites connected to local networks can now help manage supply and demand across the country, in real time.
The success of this new service has been made possible through close co-ordination and collaboration between UK Power Networks and NESO. Working together, the two organisations are joining up the national and local electricity networks in a smarter, more integrated way. This ensures that clean energy can flow where it is needed most, while reducing system costs and creating new opportunities for energy projects. For customers, it means that cleaner energy projects can connect to the grid much more quickly than before – sometimes up to 10 years earlier.
The first set of dispatches were made with help from AMP, the first company to join the MW Dispatch Service in the UK Power Networks area and benefit from the NESO’s market revenues. AMP Clean Energy now has four generator sites connected to the grid in southeast England, totalling 15 MW of power.
MW Dispatch
MW Dispatch has created a replicable template for the industry to overcome transmission-related grid connection delays using a market mechanism. The project is helping over 50 energy projects to connect earlier.
The MW Dispatch Service was created by UK Power Networks and NESO, with support from technology companies Kyndryl and Smarter Grid Solutions by adopting a co-ordinated transmission-distribution data sharing approach and modern API based digital technology.
The service is now open to any new generator or storage asset ready to connect in the southeast region. Craig Dyke, director of system operations, NESO said: “This key milestone shows how local energy resources can play a national role … we’re unlocking new ways to balance the electricity system and help to keep costs low. Strong co-ordination between transmission and distribution is fundamental to delivering a smarter, more flexible energy system that works for all users.”
