Today, Ofgem and Innovate UK has announced £5.8m in funding from the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) for the Beta phase of the REVISE (Revisiting and Evaluating Environmental Inputs on Line Ratings) project. The SIF is an Ofgem programme managed in partnership with Innovate UK.  

REVISE aims to better understand how the UK’s electricity transmission overhead line network reacts to weather, helping the electricity transmission grid carry more power safely by using enhanced, up-to-date data. 

As part of this project, the Met Office will receive £1.7m to provide the intelligence and data required to enable the transmission operators to increase efficiency in the overhead line network.

Alan Ritchie, Senior Innovation Manager at SSEN Transmission, said: “We’re delighted to secure funding for REVISE. For the first time, we are bringing together advanced meteorological modelling and real-world physical testing to transform how static overhead line ratings are set across the UK. This integrated approach will help us move closer to unlocking additional capacity on the existing grid, reducing operating costs that can ultimately be passed back to consumers, and strengthening the overall resilience and efficiency of the electricity system.”

Unlocking capacity on the existing grid using Met Office expertise 

At present, the maximum amount of electricity (static line rating) that high-voltage power lines can carry is calculated using static environmental assumptions dating back to the 1970s and 80s. These do not reflect the real-world variability of weather conditions across the UK – the warmer climate of the south is treated the same as the cooler climate of the far north for example. These differences can make a big impact on the efficiency of the energy grid across the UK. 

Steve Calder, Chief Customer Officer at the Met Office, said: “Our weather and climate intelligence, combined with high-resolution environmental data is essential to unlocking smarter use of the UK’s existing electricity network.  

“By providing accurate, location-specific weather data, we can help ensure that overhead lines are rated based on real conditions, meaning we can get more electricity through existing power lines safely, helping bring more renewable energy (like wind and solar) to homes and businesses without building as many new lines.” 

Supporting the UK’s clean-energy mission 

The Met Office is a key data and science partner in the REVISE project, working alongside SSEN Transmission, in collaboration with SP Energy Networks Transmission, National Grid Electricity Transmission and the University of Strathclyde, NESO and others. The partnership reflects the growing importance of environmental intelligence in modern energy system planning.

Steve Calder said: “REVISE is a powerful example of how collaboration between industry, academia and world leading environmental science can unlock meaningful transformation in the energy sector. We are proud that our expertise will help support innovation that ultimately benefits consumers, industry and the environment.” 

Next steps 

The new Beta phase follows the project’s successful Discovery and Alpha stages. Over the next three years, the partners will work to provide updated regional static line ratings that transmission operators can deploy in line with technical and policy guidance, delivering real‑world impact in support of the UK’s clean energy ambitions. 

Find out why this project represents a major opportunity to improve the efficiency of the UK Transmission Network, according to Met Office Senior Account Manager for Energy, Phil Hodge. 

Overhead power lines on a sunny day