Abstract: A communications network has network elements and management parts and a stored model of the network. The network elements have a controllable energy consumption status represented explicitly in the stored model. Indications of the controllable energy consumption status are passed between the management parts and network elements in a format which is compatible with the format of the model, such as by extension of TMF 814. Representing such energy status information more explicitly means it can be exchanged or distributed more efficiently, and passing the indication in a format compatible with a standard format of the network model, means a discovery request can be more easily used at various different management levels, and by various different parts of the network.