Distribution Network Options Assessment (DNOA)

The Distribution Network Options Assessment (DNOA) Methodology is the framework that will help us explore all options, including flexibility to deliver a reduction of up to £410 million in load related expenditure during RIIO-ED2 in a transparent manner. The DNOA suite of documents is published annually and provides transparency to the industry on the decisions we are taking to meet the future capacity needs across our South East, London and East of England regions over the next few years.

In our DNOA process, we identify future capacity needs based on the latest predictions of our Distribution Future Energy Scenarios (DFES). We then source all the possible options to resolve our system needs, compare them and make a recommendation for the optimal solution. This work combines information from multiple publicly shared databases and is explained in the methodology document.

The information provided will inform our stakeholders, such as Flexibility Providers (FPs), Local Authorities, Ofgem, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and other interested parties about the developments on our network, presenting upcoming opportunities to participate in the flexibility market, providing transparency to policy makers about our internal governance and facilitating other stakeholders’ development plans towards Net Zero.

In March 2024 we published the second version of our DNOA suite of documents. This year, it includes:

• DNOA Methodology: setting out our dedicated governance processes for recommending and approving investment recommendations that best meet our customers’ needs at lowest cost. Our methodology includes processes to address whole system issues as well as capacity needs to accommodate both additional generation and storage connections and additional demand across all voltage levels.
  
  
• DNOA Reports March 2024: a detailed summary of the approved recommendations from the above DNOA processes.

In September 2024, the activities of the flexibility tender round 10 were completed. In this tender we secured additional capacity through ten Flexibility Service Providers with five participants entering the market for the first time. In the DNOA Reports November 2024 document below we are providing an update to the DNOA recommendations made in March 2024.

Below you will find links to download the latest DNOA publication documents.