Energy Act 2023

Heat Network Zones Authority and zone coordinators

227 Heat Network Zones Authority

(1) Zones regulations may designate a person to act as the Heat Network Zones Authority (referred to in this Chapter as “the Authority”).

(2) The purpose of the Authority is to carry out functions in relation to heat network zones conferred on it by zones regulations.

(3) The Secretary of State may, but need not, be designated for the purposes of subsection (1).

(4) Zones regulations may provide for the Authority to delegate any of its functions to persons specified in the regulations.

228 Zone coordinators

(1) Zones regulations may make provision about zone coordinators.

(2) The purpose of zone coordinators is to carry out functions conferred on them by zones regulations in relation to particular heat network zones.

(3) Regulations made by virtue of subsection (1) may—

(a) make provision for, or in connection with, the designation of a person as a zone coordinator by a local authority for its area, or a part or parts of its area (including the local authority designating itself);

(b) make provision for, or in connection with, the designation of a person as a zone coordinator by two or more local authorities for their areas or parts of their areas (including the local authorities designating one of themselves);

(c) make provision for, or in connection with, the establishment of a body by one or more local authorities which is intended to be designated as a zone coordinator in accordance with regulations made by virtue of paragraph (a) or (b);

(d) make provision about the funding of zone coordinators;

(e) make provision about the governance of zone coordinators;

(f) make provision about zone coordinators cooperating with the Regulator in relation to zone coordinators’ functions or the Regulator’s functions;

(g) make provision for the Authority to perform any function of a zone coordinator in circumstances, and subject to requirements, specified by the regulations;

(h) make provision for the Authority to direct a zone coordinator to perform any of its functions in the manner the Authority considers appropriate in circumstances, and subject to requirements, specified by the regulations.

(4) Regulations made by virtue of subsection (3)(a) and (b) may make provision for the Authority—

(a) to require a local authority, or two or more local authorities, to designate a person as a zone coordinator in circumstances, and subject to requirements, specified by the regulations;

(b) to designate a person as a zone coordinator where a local authority (or local authorities) fail to comply with a requirement imposed by virtue of paragraph (a).

(5) In this section, “local authority” means—

(a) a county, district or parish council in England;

(b) a London borough council;

(c) the Common Council of the City of London;

(d) the Council of the Isles of Scilly;

(e) a combined authority established under section 103 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009;

(f) another body or person specified by zones regulations.