Public consultation platform for network development plan

Since 2014, Finnish distribution system operators (DSOs) have been obligated to form their network development plans (NPDs) to meet the legal security of supply targets defined in Finnish Electricity Market Act. In 2021, the law was amended and that brought a new demand of a one-month public consultation for the NDPs. The NDP as itself is a complex topic, a pile of documents full of engineering jargon and economics. Publishing it as a pdf-file in a DSO's webpage would not create value for customer nor a DSO. Elenia's network is mainly located in sparsely populated rural areas, which underlines importance of location in the development of security of supply. These facts lead Elenia to create an engaging way to present technical plans like the NDP. The created platform enables a way of sharing the NDP and gathering feedback in an efficient and understandable way that strengthens the customer relationship and builds customer insight. The platform provides three layers or phases for the consultation. The first phase educates how the electricity grid functions and explains the NDP in general and its purpose. The second phase personalizes the NDP to the user with the address the user gives. The map highlights where the electricity is supplied to the address and gives insights about the electricity network serving the address. Insights such as realized security of supply, network age, cabling rate, feeder area and most importantly how the network serving the address will be developed according to the NDP and how the security of supply will develop in upcoming years. The third phase is a feedback-form where the user is profiled/categorized and given feedback questions which are tied to the presented data. This paper presents the innovated concept and the created platform. In addition to the public consultation, the platform can be used to serve customers continuously. Customers can anytime visit the platform and see, study, and give feedback about the network serving their neighborhood.