Utility Week

Transmission Conference report a student loan-type scheme, an industry expert suggested. Jo Jo Hubbard, chief executive and co- founder of trading so ware company Elec- tron, was speaking during a panel debate on • nancing the energy transition, in which panellists were asked how to encour- age consumer investment in low-carbon technologies. Hubbard said there was a real "hand in glove piece" around the fact that such assets are needed for net zero and also for • exibil- ity markets to work. "We are still • nancing EV charging sta- tions that aren't capable of responding to grid signals… so it's about • nancing the right kind of behaviour and incentivising the right kind of behaviour," she said. Continuing, she added: "What I would say is I think there needs to be some kind of student loan-type scheme to help you fund electrifying [sic] and then you can earn money back from that electric asset and start maybe paying some of that support mecha- nism back. "But we can't just • nance it. We've got to • nance it to be a • exible part of our energy system and so there's got to be consumer propositions for actually wanting to adopt those energy assets in that way. This is the commercial infrastructure having to go alongside the • nancial infrastructure." Also speaking on the panel was Mike Wilks, energy networks partner at Baringa, who made the case for the physical infra- structure to be part of the mix as well other- wise, he said, "you don't realise the value". "So you've sold the consumer a propo- sition they can't realise because the infra- structure's not there to enable it, whether it be smart behaviour or whatever," he said. "That's why it's diŽ cult, because you've got to solve all of it. You can't charge your car if you haven't got enough capacity on the local grid to be able to do that at the time that you want to do it. You can't operate it in a smart way if you haven't got the digital infrastruc- ture to be able to connect it in the right way and do it in a way that is convenient to you and your lifestyle on a basis that you've set. "There's some pretty nutty problems here and that's why I think the search for per- fection is going to take too long, and we're going to have to make some hard choices." Adam John, senior reporter With thanks to our sponsors Headline sponsor Hitachi Energy Co-sponsors Baringa Opendataso S&C Electric Company Associate sponsor: National Grid ESO. continued from previous page Maximise your brand profi le and educate your core audience through Utility Week Offering you a more enhanced profi le than just advertising alone, Utility Week marketing solutions will: Raise your company's profi le above your competitors Support a major branding push or product/service launch Position your company as a thought-leader Generate real leads and drive business To fi nd out more please contact Sarah Wood +44(0) 1342 332117 utilityweek.co.uk to reach the right audience

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