How Coherence Put National Grid ESO's Future Energy Scenarios Online

National Grid ESO's Future Energy Scenarios report sets out credible pathways to decarbonise the UK's energy system by 2050. Coherence turned the 2021 edition into a connected web journey that is more accessible and shows what readers engage with.

Coherence for National Grid ESO

National Grid ESO

Client: National Grid ESO
Agency: Coherence, part of Cohaesus
Type of work: Websites & CMS
Sector: Energy & Utilities

National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) operates the electricity transmission network across Great Britain, balancing supply and demand in real time and bringing more renewable energy onto the grid. Ahead of the 2021 edition of its flagship Future Energy Scenarios (FES) report, it asked Coherence to turn key parts of the interactive PDF into a web experience that was easy to use and could be tracked.

The Challenge

The annual FES report sets out credible pathways for decarbonising the UK's energy system by 2050. The interactive PDF was immersive, but National Grid ESO wanted to make the report more accessible with a web journey, and to see who was reading it and which sections drew the most interest. The pages had to be connected and engaging, and keep the detail of the full report.

The Approach

Coherence had worked with National Grid ESO before, bringing content strategy and user experience together. This project meant structuring the report for the web while the content was still being written, against a tight deadline.

Content strategy. Coherence reviewed the 2020 report to find its core messages and build a connected story for the 2021 web version. The content would change, but the structure kept it consistently organised.

UX and design. The UX team developed a content-led site map and wireframes that could absorb last-minute updates. Reusing existing components meant the pages were ready to launch alongside the report.

An interactive journey. Rather than copy the PDF, the pages give top-level insights and encourage readers to explore specific scenarios, then lead them to download the full interactive PDF.

Engagement tracking. The structure shows National Grid ESO which sections attract the most interest and how users move through the content, so it could base decisions about future reports on data.

We've seen fantastic results from this piece of work. Coherence's approach has helped us to continue to build our reputation as a destination point for innovation and great user experience.

Laura Gordon, Digital Manager, Corporate Affairs, National Grid ESO

The Outcome

The 2021 report was condensed into six core chapters on the website, with visual data and downloadable resources. One month after release, page views for the FES content were up 55% on the previous year, from 14,977 to 23,339, and the full report had been downloaded more than 2,500 times. The pages gave readers a simpler experience and strengthened National Grid ESO's digital presence.