Introduction: Flexnet is a four year (2007-11) programme focused on seven themes. Of these Intermittency, System Operation and Multi terminal High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Systems are particular challenges for the UK Governments 2020 Low Carbon Transition Plan (LCTP). The other themes; More Electric Future, Visions and Scenario, Customer Participation and Active Distribution are topics that prepare for the 2030 onwards agenda. The uncertainty of the future means that flexibility continues to be an important objective. The programme aims, where possible, to showcase its insights and achievements so that these can be taken up by the commercial sector, government and the regulators for practical implementation.

Objectives: The issues being addressed by the workstreams and reported under each of the themes are as follows:

• Intermittency: Adaption of T&D networks to accommodate a high penetration of intermittent renewables

• System Operation: Focus on modelling and analysis for increased boundary transfer limits and of corrective post fault control

• Multi Terminal HVDC Systems: Realisation of DC networks through research into both control methodologies and hardware

• More Electric Futures: Addresses the demand placed on the electricity system in GB from the increased use of electricity as the vector for energy transmission and distribution

• Visions and Scenarios: Support for the Long term Electricity Network Scenarios (LENS) project

• Customer Participation: Engaging consumers about the necessary transition towards the 2020 objectives

• Active Distribution: Formulation of distribution planning problem as a stochastic maths programme and active power distribution network using power electronic elements.