What we’re learning
The Blue Light project has surfaced four core challenge areas, each shedding light on the unique complexities emergency services face in their decarbonisation efforts—and what that means for UK Power Networks:
1. Complex and Costly Connection Requirements
Emergency services are dealing with multifaceted estates, electrifying fleets, and tight budgets — all under pressure to decarbonise quickly. Their connection needs are not only larger and more intricate than typical users, but also must be met with minimal disruption and maximum operational resilience.
2. High Demand on UK Power Networks for Optioneering Support
Many emergency service organisations lack the internal expertise to design optimal connection applications. This often results in incomplete or inefficient submissions, creating delays and placing a heavy resource burden on UK Power Networks. Better access to site-specific grid data and optioneering tools could dramatically reduce rework and help guide smarter decisions.
3. Fragmented Planning Across and Within Organisations
Without a unified approach, decarbonisation efforts are slowed by poor coordination — both between different emergency services (e.g., police, fire, ambulance) and within individual organisations. Greater collaboration and shared learning are critical to speed up progress and avoid duplicated efforts.
4. Uncertainty Around Resilience Planning
As reliance on electricity grows — for fleet charging, communications, and essential equipment — emergency services need to be confident in their power supply. But many lack robust resilience strategies, and they need UK Power Networks’ support to build solutions that safeguard operations in all scenarios.
These challenges form the foundation of the Blue Light project’s next steps, guiding the development of tools, strategies, and support systems to enable a smoother, smarter transition to Net Zero for the UK’s emergency services.
