National Energy System Operator (NESO)

NESO was established on 1 October 2024 under powers in the Energy Act 2023, succeeding the Electricity System Operator previously owned by National Grid. The UK government acquired the operator for an agreed enterprise value of £630 million and transferred it into public ownership.

NESO plans and operates Great Britain’s energy system, combining real-time electricity balancing with long-term planning across electricity, gas, hydrogen, generation, storage and network infrastructure. It provides independent advice to government and Ofgem, develops strategic energy scenarios and network plans, and supports the transition to a secure, affordable and decarbonised system.

For students, NESO is less like a conventional utility and more like a technical, regulatory and strategic institution at the centre of the UK energy transition. Its strongest areas are system operations, infrastructure planning, market and policy analysis, energy forecasting, digital and data work, and coordination between government, networks, generators and consumers.