London has said that it is in support of EDF Energy Networks’ bid for funding to reduce carbon emissions from the UK’s capital city to combat against climate change.

London’s electricity distributor has submitted its initial bid to seek funding from Ofgem’s GBP500m Low Carbon Networks Fund to create a smart electricity distribution network that would help London cut its carbon emissions by 60% by 2025.

‘Low Carbon London – A Learning Journey’ is a major collaborative project which would involve working with communities and businesses to create a blueprint for a future electricity distribution system to support the government’s low carbon transition plan.

The proposed project would comprise of smart grid technologies and carbon-cutting commercial arrangements to encourage customers to play a key role in helping to match London’s electricity demand with available low carbon electricity production. It would also look at ways to accommodate the anticipated growth in micro-generation while managing higher demand for electricity created by the switch to electric cars.

EDF Energy Networks plans to work with the Greater London Authority, the London Development Agency, Transport for London and the Institute for Sustainability on some of the mayor’s programs to make London more energy efficient, reduce energy bills, deliver new infrastructure and create ‘green collar’ jobs.

These programs include the ten low carbon zones that were awarded a share in GBP3m by the mayor for reducing their carbon emissions by 20.12% by 2012, as well as plans to make London the electric car capital of Europe. These plans are set to deliver 7,500 electric vehicle charging points by spring 2013 with a target for 25,000 by 2015, supporting 100,000 electric vehicles.

Low Carbon London would provide the vital information link, matching models of the electricity distribution network of the future with real customer behaviour, and finding the best ways of empowering customers to reduce their electricity consumption and carbon emissions. Working directly with London communities and businesses, EDF Energy Networks would seek to help them learn how to manage their electricity demand.

The purpose of the project is to help identify the main challenges that all distribution network operators will have to face in delivering a future low carbon electricity system. The full bids for Ofgem’s Low Carbon Networks Fund will be submitted on September 3, 2010.