1. Local Authority Open Tender
During a local authority open tender for a LAEP or similar, you will need to know about the digital tools you may be asked to use, the process by which we use the LAEP to inform our network development plans, and of course which local authorities we serve.
Contents of this page
Tools you might be asked to use
We have two main digital tools designed for local authorities and their commercial partners, LAEP+ and ChargePoint Navigator.
Both tools are freely available for all the 133 local authorities that we serve. However, to support collaboration any local authority user can add in a commercial partner such as a LAEP practitioner.
ChargePoint Navigator
ChargePoint Navigator is our free to use, end to end chargepoint rollout tool. It supports two key use cases associated with electric vehicle charge points:
- Using data to identify optimal locations for installing charge points
- Managing and monitoring charge point deployment
As a LAEP practitioner, you may be asked by your local authority to use this tool in developing a climate or transport strategy. ChargePoint Navigator can support this in the following ways:
- Understanding current coverage of existing charging infrastructure
- Giving an indication of the number of chargepoint that may be required to support a 2050 Net Zero world
- Insights into the different types of chargers which may be required
LAEP+
LAEP+ is our decarbonisation planning tool and supports multiple use cases, including:
- Data visualisation of over 60 datasets
- Project planning of net zero initiatives
- Stakeholder engagement with integrated consultations
Along with our infrastructure data, and open data from trusted sources, we have a number of datasets from our technology partner Advanced Infrastructure and other third parties. These include:
- Solar and Wind land potential
- Building level rooftop PV potential
- Building level domestic heat demand
Read more about these datasets.
As a LAEP practitioner, you may be asked by your local authority to use this tool in the following ways:
- Uploading outputs from your LAEP for visualisation and further project planning
- Use of the datasets to inform your LAEP development
How to get a LAEP into our network development plans
One of the key functions our team performs is updating our network development plan with local forecast data. This ensures that our decision making on reinforcing existing assets, building new assets, or procuring flexibility is influenced by local authority's decarbonisation plans.
Our LAEP Support Framework is the process by which we do this. At a high level, we analyse a local forecast, such as a LAEP, to determine if its energy requirements exceed our current forecasts (Called a “Materiality Assessment”). If this is the case, we work to understand the evidence underpinning the forecast (Called the “Confidence Assessment”) and update our network development plans accordingly.
Key terms
Our Key terms explained page on Your Local Net Zero Hub lists industry-specific terms along with their explanations and links to where you can find out more. For LAEP specific work it is recommended to familiarise yourself with the following terms:
Local Authorities we serve
UK Power Networks serves 133 local authorities across our licence area. You can find a list of all the local authorities we serve on our open data portal.
