# SP Energy Networks Open Data Explore API

**Canonical:** https://apis.io/apis/scottishpower/spen-open-data-explore-api/  
**Provider:** ScottishPower — https://apis.io/providers/scottishpower/  
**Base URL:** https://spenergynetworks.opendatasoft.com/api/explore/v2.1  
**Documentation:** https://spenergynetworks.opendatasoft.com/api/explore/v2.1/console

SP Energy Networks Open Data Explore API is one of 2 APIs that [ScottishPower](https://apis.io/providers/scottishpower/) publishes on the [APIs.io](https://apis.io/) network, described by a machine-readable OpenAPI specification. Tagged areas include Open Data, Energy, Electricity, Grid, and Distribution Network Operator. The published artifact set on APIs.io includes an OpenAPI specification, an API reference, API documentation, and a getting-started guide.

The live, anonymous REST API behind the SP Energy Networks Open Data Portal — ScottishPower's regulated distribution and transmission arm publishing its network data under Ofgem's Data Best Practice "presumed open" licence condition. Implements the Opendatasoft Explore API v2.1 contract (OpenAPI 3.0.3, 16 paths) over a catalogue of 150 datasets covering the embedded capacity register, network flow, historic substation demand curves, LV monitoring, smart-meter penetration by transformer, secondary substations, generation heat maps, connections insight and per-dataset data-quality scores. Verified on 2026-07-27 with no API key and no account: GET /catalog/datasets returned HTTP 200 with total_count 150, access-control-allow-origin "*", and x-ratelimit-limit 5000 with x-ratelimit-remaining 4990 resetting daily. Records, facets, attachments and exports (CSV, Parquet, GPX, DCAT-AP RDF/XML) are all served from the same base URL. An optional apikey query parameter, obtainable from a free self-serve portal account, raises quotas; none is required for public datasets. Data is published under the SP Energy Networks Open Data Licence, which the portal states is based on the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public Licence.

## Machine-readable artifacts (10)

- **OpenAPI** — https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/scottishpower/refs/heads/main/openapi/scottishpower-spen-open-data-explore-api-openapi.json
- **Overlay** — https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/scottishpower/refs/heads/main/overlays/scottishpower-spen-open-data-explore-api-overlay.yaml
- **APIReference** — https://spenergynetworks.opendatasoft.com/api/explore/v2.1/console
- **Documentation** — https://help.opendatasoft.com/apis/ods-explore-v2/
- **Documentation** — https://spenergynetworks.opendatasoft.com/pages/support-help-main/
- **GettingStarted** — https://spenergynetworks.opendatasoft.com/explore/
- **Licensing** — https://spenergynetworks.opendatasoft.com/p/sp-energy-networks-open-data-licence/
- **TermsOfService** — https://spenergynetworks.opendatasoft.com/terms/
- **Glossary** — https://spenergynetworks.opendatasoft.com/glossary/
- **APIsJSON** — https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/scottishpower/refs/heads/main/apis.yml

## Other ScottishPower APIs (1)

- [SP Energy Networks Open Data Search API (v1.0)](https://apis.io/apis/scottishpower/spen-open-data-search-api-v1/)

## Tags

Open Data, Energy, Electricity, Grid, Distribution Network Operator, Embedded Capacity Register, Smart Metering, Flexibility, United Kingdom

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Profiled by [API Evangelist](https://apievangelist.com) and published on [APIs.io](https://apis.io/apis/scottishpower/spen-open-data-explore-api/). The API's provider profile, Kin Score and agent-readiness rating are at https://apis.io/providers/scottishpower/.