Confirmed speakers so far:
Georgina Mills, Director, Energy Systems Management and Security, Ofgem
Inge Hansen, Director, Group and Markets Regulation, SSE Group
This conference will examine next steps for electricity market reform in the UK, following the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements summer update which confirmed retention of a national wholesale pricing model and outlined ways forward for a reformed National Pricing Delivery Plan.
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to assess progress and priorities moving forward as the National Energy System Operator refines its strategic system planning framework and Ofgem advances proposals for transmission and Balancing Mechanism reform. It will also be an opportunity to review ongoing work towards the National Pricing Delivery Plan and its coordination with Clean Power 2030 objectives.
Policy developments & implications
Sessions will consider the direction of policy, including priorities for the Capacity Market and balancing reform, and alignment with the next Contracts for Difference allocation round, as well as ongoing work under NESO’s Constraints Collaboration Project to address network congestion and reduce related costs.
Areas for discussion include implications for investment, system flexibility, and the wider economic and regional context, including long-term value for consumers.
Further sessions will assess priorities for investment frameworks in order to support infrastructure delivery. Delegates will consider Ofgem’s draft determinations for RIIO-3, and NESO’s forecast of TNUoS tariffs, addressing concerns regarding potential costs for consumers and impact on public trust.
Planning, infrastructure & consumer impact
Delegates will examine key issues emerging from the consultation on draft guidance for the forthcoming Strategic Spatial Energy Plan and Centralised Strategic Network Plan.
Areas for discussion include integration of local energy plans with national and regional networks, coordination of generation with demand and storage, approaches to strengthening public engagement, and implications for infrastructure placement and delivery timelines. Discussion will consider how market reforms and energy planning can be aligned to support the Industrial Strategy and Infrastructure Strategy goals for a low carbon, flexible energy system.
The agenda will look at differences in network costs across regions and options for updating price signals to better reflect regional differences and needs. Approaches to managing impact for consumers and the system as a whole will be discussed, and what these factors might mean for rollout of low-carbon technologies and storage, as well as ways to encourage projects where they are most needed while keeping competition strong, including the use of location-based charges and incentives.
Collaboration & long-term efficiency
Looking at capacity market reform, discussion will focus on how new measures – such as termination fees for demand-side response – might affect participation and investment signals. Attendees will consider opportunities for energy flexibility providers in the Capacity Market, following balancing and settlement reforms, including small-scale consumer-led assets and independent aggregators.
Further sessions consider potential implementation of digital grid management tools, data-sharing systems, and frameworks for closer coordination between local authorities and regulators, to improve efficiency and support longer-term system development.