Utility Week

People & Opinion Utility Week community UTILITY WEEK | 12Th - 18Th MAY 2017 | 7 "Thames Water has a long way to go to turn itself around." Economist Ian Byatt told Utility Week Thames Water is too big and should be broken up "Water companies are planning for 25 years or more in advance so the investment decisions they make now must be resilient to any changes they might expect in the future." Adrian Rees, director of asset management, AECOM ExEcutivE appointmEnts There has never been a more critical time for policymakers, influencers and stakeholders in the UK energy sector to take stock of the landscape. With the transition to renewable sources of energy underway, the full implications of Brexit still unknown, and the nation awaiting the make-up of the new government a•er a snap election, the ground is shi•ing beneath the industry's feet. At what will be the sector's first major energy event for policymakers a•er the general election, the 2017 Utility Week Energy Summit will bring together more than 150 key stakeholders to reassess Britain's place in a post-Brexit world, take a pragmatic approach to medium-term energy strategy, assess the challenges and opportunities of an integrated energy system and tackle the best way forward to realise a long-term energy vision in the UK. The sector must find a way to adapt to wide-reaching changes and develop an energy system that reduces energy emissions, maintains investor confidence and ensures secure, affordable supply. Energy players of all sizes, and all places within the value chain, must adapt to survive. Confirmed speakers include: Ed Davey, former energy secretary and Lib Dem candidate for Kingston and Surbiton Vincent de Rivaz, chief executive, EDF Energy Keith Anderson, COO, Scottish Power and CEO, Scottish Power Renewables Basil Scarsella, chief executive, UK Power Networks Felix Lerch, UK country chairman, Uniper Andy Koss, chief executive, Drax Power Cordi O'Hara, director, UK systems operator, National Grid Dermot Nolan, chief executive, Ofgem John Morea, chief executive, SGN Tom Glover, chief commercial officer, RWE supply and trading Alan Whitehead, shadow energy minister and labour candidate for Southampton Test Gareth Burns, vice-president and MD, Statoil Energy Ventures Piers Guy, director of offshore wind development and UK country manager, Vattenfall Rachel Cooper, head of energy storage, BEIS Event Utility Week Energy Summit, 29 June Find out more at: events.utilityweek.co.uk/ summit EnErgY School trips draw students to maths and physics Northumbrian Water has teamed up with the government- backed Your Life campaign to host school trips to open up the world of work to more than 100 young people from several schools in the North East. The campaign aims to increase the numbers of students who are studying maths and physics at A level. Students were given the opportunity to see behind the scenes at the water company's Howdon site, and after the trip, 84 per cent of students said they would now consider studying maths and 74 per cent physics. Sophie Pickup, learning and development manager for Northumbrian Water, said: "We're really excited to be hosting the best school trips. As a member of the Energy and Utilities Partnership we know how important it is to show students the wide range of careers on offer in companies such as ours." Haven power Electricity supplier haven Power – which is part of the Drax group – has appointed Paul Sheffield as its new chief operating officer. Sheffield joins the company from EDF Energy, where he was B2B commercial director before leading the SME customer business and I&C business sales division. First utility Ian McCaig, the chief executive of First Utility, has announced he will be leaving the company in September, after six years in the role. The company has begun the search for McCaig's successor.

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