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Governance scenario

Net Zero Target Review

Government reviews whether the 2030 clean power target is achievable. Industry lobbies for delay. Environmental groups demand acceleration. Regulatory agencies must advise.

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This is a fictionalised teaching scenario grounded in real institutional roles, published reforms, and current public-source context.

Scenario player

Work through the decision path below. Each choice changes the route, the institutional trade-offs, and the metrics the scenario tracks.

Net Zero Target Review

Step 1 of 2

DESNZ

Target feasibility review initiated

Government has commissioned an independent review of the 2030 clean power target (40GW wind, 70% electricity from renewables). The review concludes the target is technically feasible but will require GBP 100B+ investment, significant grid reinforcement, and sustained political commitment. Generators argue the pace is too fast and will leave them stranded. Environmental groups argue the target is too weak. Ofgem and NESO must advise on regulatory and operational feasibility.

What is at stake

  • -Accelerating the timeline requires more investment and creates more disruption.
  • -Delaying the timeline impacts climate goals but eases transition.
  • -Stakeholder reaction will be intense regardless of decision.

What is your regulatory recommendation on target feasibility?

Current Metrics

Net Zero Progress70
Stakeholder Trust58
System Security68
Affordability55
Operational Efficiency58
Customer Protection62

Actors Involved

DESNZOfgemNESOGeneratorsCitizensGB Energy

Regulatory Context

Climate Change Act and DESNZ Decarbonisation Strategy

Governance relationship map

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Operating loop breadcrumb

Governance→Planning→Operations→Outcomes→Evidence

Current focus: Rules and accountability

Legend

Governance and policy

Rules, remits, and accountability

Planning and investment

Connections, queue progression, and delivery planning

System operations

Real-time balancing and network operation

Market and consumer outcomes

Prices, settlement, reliability, affordability

Evidence and learning

Telemetry, assurance, and continuous improvement

Glossary

  • Dispatch

    Real-time instructions to increase or reduce generation or demand so supply stays in balance.

  • Balancing

    The continuous process of matching electricity supply to demand while maintaining system frequency.

  • Constraint

    A technical limit in the network that restricts how power can flow under current conditions.

  • Industry code

    A formal rulebook that defines obligations and processes for specific market and network activities.

  • Connection agreement

    The formal agreement setting technical and milestone conditions for connecting a project to the network.

  • Settlement

    The process that turns metered and contractual positions into final market cashflow outcomes.

  • Conformance gate

    A quality checkpoint that verifies whether data or implementation meets agreed standards.

  • LTDS

    Long Term Development Statement publication requirements for distribution network data.

Guided tour

Step 1 of 8

Who sets the rules?

Start with governance: policy direction, regulatory oversight, licences, and code obligations.

Why it matters: Newcomers should first understand where authority sits before interpreting operational decisions.

Open Ofgem licence and code guidance

Preparing system graph…

Use this map to keep scenario decisions anchored to policy, coordination, operational delivery, and evidence feedback relationships.

Sources and methodology

How this page was assembled

Scenarios are designed as regulator-safe teaching runs. Institutional roles, programme context, and cited reform pathways stay grounded in current public sources, while event details and numbers inside the run remain fictionalised unless explicitly evidenced elsewhere. This scenario is framed against Climate Change Act and DESNZ Decarbonisation Strategy.

Last reviewed 18 March 2026

Primary sources

Ransford's Notes