Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 10TH - 16TH NOVEMBER 2017 | 23 Policy & Regulation • How to handle declining system inertia. • Customer engagement and auto- mated flexibility. • The potential of the gas network to provide energy system flexibility. • The impact of fast EV charging innovations on network flexibility and reinforcement needs. • How to support investment ahead of need in a fast-changing but uncertain world. • Government/regulator progress on removing barriers to battery storage. • The transmission-distribution inter- face and the need for communica- tions innovation. • Dieter Helm's cost of energy review and his proposal for regional system operators. Key topics discussed: Rachel Cooper, head of smart energy, BEIS "It's really important that we take in a range of views as to what our energy system could look like. Dieter Helm's review is an important contribu- tion to that debate, but it is one point of view. The next step for government is to take in a wider set of views." Chris Clarke, director of asset management, Wales and West Utilities "We deploy 15GWh of storage a day, and we own and operate that storage, unlike perhaps the future for electricity. That's the equivalent of 6 million Tesla Power Wall's. The gas system has got the storage equiv- alent of 210TWh." Jonathan Brearley, senior partner for networks, Ofgem "I have been around in the energy sector for a long time now. That has its down sides, but also brings one major pleasure, which is seeing things that used to be talked about at a high con- ceptual level becom- ing real" Sponsored by Fast movers Monopoly energy networks across gas and power are investing in innovation projects to explore how their systems can become more flexible, adapting at need to complex demand and generation patterns to maintain a reliable system with improved efficiency. But are the regulated networks leading the way in this field? ABB's Peter Jones spoke at Flexible Networks 2017 about the rapid steps being taken by third parties to develop business opportuni- ties in the operation of flexible private energy networks. These schemes are attracting healthy swathes of private investment, said Jones. And the projects are far from small fry, accounting for "hundreds of megawatts" according to Jones. The technology strategy leader said that these projects are likely to deliver the "quickest" and most immediately "disruptive" progress towards energy flexibility, though he added that "whether or not it turns out to be the best over the longer term, I don't know". ABB's Peter Jones

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