Up to five million electric vehicles could be on the roads of the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire by 2050.

Northern Powergrid is calling on stakeholders across the region to explore the data and share their thoughts to further enhance regional planning for decarbonisation

That’s according to new research from distribution network operator Northern Powergrid, which is calling on stakeholders across the region to explore the data and share their thoughts to further enhance regional planning for decarbonisation.

The company, which is responsible for the electricity distribution network that powers the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, has shared its annual Distribution Future Energy Scenarios (DFES) report to show the new forecasts for EVs in the region.

Focusing on the uptake of key low carbon technologies such as EVs and heat pumps, and renewable energy generation, the DFES uses this local data to map out regional energy supply and demand over the next 30 years.

The data also highlights how emerging technologies such as energy storage, in the form of batteries, hydrogen production and carbon capture and storage (CCS), are expected to evolve and mature. This, in turn, supports Northern Powergrid as the operator of the electricity network, to invest appropriately in infrastructure that will help accelerate decarbonisation.

In Leeds for example, the DFES data indicates that there could be 520,000 electric vehicles on the roads by 2050, and 310,000 heat pumps warming houses and businesses.

The DFES data can support Northern Powergrid to plan a system with the capacity to enable this future.

Now, Northern Powergrid is looking to raise awareness about the latest forecasts for low carbon technology uptake and is encouraging anyone with low carbon plans in the region to say if they think its forecasts are accurate based on their own knowledge.

Jim Cardwell, Northern Powergrid’s head of policy development, said: “The value of this data cannot be underestimated. As a regional enabler of decarbonisation we need to know when and where to expect rapid uptake of low carbon technology and renewable energy to plan our network accordingly. Millions of homes and businesses over the next decade will be decarbonising and green policies like the petrol and diesel vehicle ban and heat pump rollout will accelerate this process.

“We need to make sure that the network is ready to facilitate a smooth transition to net zero for the people we serve and accurate DFES data will be a key planning tool. This is why we are asking anyone with low carbon plans to come forward and share this information. By ensuring our data and forecasts are informed by our stakeholders, we can help better plan your pathway to net zero.”

The Northern Powergrid data can be found on the Open Data Institute (ODI) Leeds website as a time-lapsed geospatial view and can be viewed at a local authority level, or by primary substations.