What products or services does your company offer that can support local authorities to reach their net zero targets?

The Independent Networks Association (INA) is a trade association representing independent utility network operators across the electricity, gas, heat and water and wastewater sectors.

Our members provide the essential last-mile infrastructure that supports housing growth, commercial development, public services and the transition to net zero. This includes electricity connections and network capacity for new homes, businesses, renewable energy projects, battery storage, EV charging infrastructure and other low-carbon technologies.

Members also play an important role in helping to deliver innovative and resilient water and wastewater infrastructure for new developments.

As a trade association, the INA does not itself deliver utility infrastructure projects. Our role is to support, represent and convene the independent networks sector so that our members can work effectively with local authorities, regulators, government and other stakeholders. This includes sharing evidence and best practice, identifying barriers to delivery, supporting policy development, and helping local authorities better understand the role independent networks can play in delivering local energy plans, growth strategies and net zero objectives.

Our impact is measured through the collective contribution of our members and through the outcomes of our policy and engagement work. This can include the number of connections delivered by independent networks, the scale of low-carbon infrastructure enabled, member case studies, stakeholder engagement activity, policy influence, and evidence of improved understanding between local authorities and the independent networks sector.

Through our partnership with UK100, we hope to improve dialogue between local authorities and independent network operators, helping councils understand how they can engage with the sector earlier and more effectively when planning for housing growth, EV charging, local energy infrastructure, heat decarbonisation and wider net zero delivery.

What sort of local authorities do you think your product or service could help?

The INA’s work is likely to be most relevant to local authorities with responsibility for strategic planning, housing growth, transport decarbonisation, infrastructure delivery and local net zero plans.

This includes mayoral combined authorities, Mayoral Strategic Authorities, upper-tier authorities, unitary authorities, county councils and larger district or borough councils bringing forward major development, regeneration, EV charging or local energy projects. It is also relevant to local authorities working with developers on new housing, commercial development, public services, renewable generation, battery storage, fleet electrification and public EV charging.

The INA does not provide infrastructure directly, as we are a trade association. However, our members include independent network operators that deliver, adopt and operate essential local utility infrastructure. Their work can support local authorities by helping to connect new homes and commercial developments, enable low-carbon technologies, support EV charging rollout, provide network capacity for renewable energy and storage, and deliver resilient water and wastewater infrastructure for new development.

This is particularly important as mayors and combined authorities take on enhanced responsibilities for local growth, strategic planning, transport, housing and economic regeneration. These authorities will increasingly need to align infrastructure planning with local net zero and growth objectives. The independent networks sector can help by providing additional delivery capacity, technical expertise and alternative routes to market for utility infrastructure.

Through our partnership with UK100, the INA would be particularly keen to engage with local and combined authorities that are developing local growth plans, local area energy plans, EV infrastructure strategies, housing growth strategies or major regeneration programmes. We can help these authorities understand how independent network operators can support earlier, more coordinated infrastructure planning and help remove barriers that might otherwise delay net zero delivery or sustainable growth.

Can you give us an example of a local authority you have worked with?

The INA is a trade association, so we do not directly deliver infrastructure projects ourselves. However, our members work with developers, charge point operators, local authorities and other delivery partners to provide the utility infrastructure needed to support local net zero delivery.
‍
One example is a county-wide public EV charging rollout in England. The local authority was seeking to expand access to public charge points, particularly for residents without access to off-street parking who could not easily charge an electric vehicle at home. The wider challenge was to support modal shift and transport decarbonisation while ensuring that local charging infrastructure could be delivered at scale.
‍
An INA member worked with the charge point operator to support the grid connection process for the rollout. Its role was to help manage and streamline the process of connecting new charge points to the electricity network, reducing delivery complexity and supporting faster energisation of sites.
‍
The outcome was the continued expansion of a public EV charging network, with charge points installed and operating across the local authority area and further phases being taken forward. The project supports local climate, transport and air quality objectives by improving access to reliable public charging, especially for communities where private home charging is not available.
‍
This example shows the role the independent networks sector can play in helping local authorities turn net zero strategies into deliverable infrastructure projects. The INA’s role is to help local authorities, combined authorities and mayoral strategic authorities understand how to engage with this sector earlier and more effectively, so that infrastructure planning, housing growth, transport decarbonisation and local net zero delivery are better aligned.

What is the cost of your support to local authorities?

There is no cost to local authorities for engaging with the INA or participating in our policy, knowledge-sharing or stakeholder engagement activity.

Our role is to support and enable dialogue between local authorities, combined authorities, government, regulators and the independent networks sector. We can help local authorities better understand the role independent network operators can play in supporting housing growth, EV charging, heat decarbonisation, local energy planning, water and wastewater infrastructure, and wider net zero delivery.

Where a local authority or delivery partner chooses to procure infrastructure, network services or commercial support from an INA member, any costs would be agreed separately and directly with the relevant provider through the appropriate procurement or commercial process. However, there is no charge from the INA for engagement, discussion, policy input or knowledge-sharing support.

For queries, get in touch here.