Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | JULY 2021 | 23 Customers However, despite these strides, the pres- sures of delivering on business as usual, which include resource-hungry price con- trols, continue to be challenging. Coordinating multiple stakeholders and a variety of other factors, mean that some major shortfalls against the Energy Data Taskforce's recommendations remain. For example, progress on asset registration and the creation of a digital system map has been slower than many might have liked. These issues must be urgently addressed to keep the UK on track with its net zero ambitions and to ensure the British energy system sustains its record on reliability and resilience notwithstanding radically chang- ing system dynamics. Shared vision In recognition of the need for a fresh spur for the energy data and digitalisation agenda, the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, in tandem with Ofgem, has commissioned the Energy Digitalisation Taskforce to build on the foundations of the Energy Data Taskforce, establish a shared vision for the future digital architecture of the sector and make recommendations about the necessary governance arrangements it will need. Once again, the initiative will be led by prominent energy policy influencer Laura Sandys. In a launch event in mid-May she, alongside other taskforce members, called for collaborative and open input from the sector to help ensure they can carry out a rigorous review of previous data strategy rec- ommendations, honestly critique progress against these and bring a new level of clarity to critical issues surrounding the interoper- ability of data and data governance. She said in association with Working group participants said: "We need to understand – and have a good understanding of what the use cases for data are." "Our regulation is set up for companies with assets that last 40 years or more… I think there needs to be a change to have a regulatory framework which is aimed at data as an asset which lasts maybe just weeks or months – a year at the maximum." "If we'd spent the past 10 years of innovation budget across the industry just instrumenting our networks we would likely be in a far better place as an industry. Concerted spend now on low-voltage visibility would be extremely valuable." "All we need is a standardised API definition scheme in essence for transferring the data. It's not beyond the wit of man… Open Banking took a long time to get there, but it provides a great model." We need to address gaps in system intelligence A legacy of weak incentives for investment in low-voltage networks intelligence must be over- come and coupled with completion of the smart meter rollout to create an enabling baseline of industry data. We need a system of clear prioritisation Improved agreement and understanding of priority use cases for data could help create greater focus, pace and impact in the use of data through the energy transition. We need culture change and new attitudes to risk The industry needs to spread better under- standing of agile innovation methods to promote iterative and fast-paced experimenta- tion around ways to realise value from data. This must be coupled with new attitudes and tools for appreciating shiing risks to the system, companies and consumers. We need to make it easy for consumer to participate As we move to leverage data and digitalisation for decarbonisation we must keep the critical outcome of mass consumer participation in the system front of mind. To do this, we must give consumers strong incentives to authorise use of their data by providing products and services with compelling value, as well as user-friendly tools for managing data access. Download the full report Paving the Way to Net Zero: Data and Digitalisation Requirements for the Energy Transition at: www.utilityweek.co.uk this will include scrutiny of issues around consumer consents for data use. Adding perspective and supporting progress To help support the work of the new task- force and enable industry players to make good on their undoubted ambitions to max- imise the potential of data in the interests of people and planet, Utility Week and CGI – a global IT and business consulting services firm – recently partnered to host an inde- pendent industry working group on the data and digitalisation strategies needed for our net zero energy transition. Taking place just ahead of the official launch of the new taskforce, the virtual event saw participation from strategic lead- ers and data specialists representing a range of energy infrastructure companies, energy service providers (including energy suppliers and aggregators) and market operators. The forum provided a timely opportu- nity for unbiased reflection on the key chal- lenges and priority actions which should be implemented to accelerate and improve the sector's approach to harnessing the value of data and digitalisation in the energy transition. In a subsequent report, Paving the Way to Net Zero: Data and Digitalisation Require- ments for the Energy Transition, the working group's discussions are summarised and collated in a set of core beliefs about what is needed to release the full potential of data and digitalisation on the road to net zero (see box, below). This report is available to download free from Utility Week's website. Jane Gray, content director

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