8. WHO: NATIONAL GRID
What's the deal: The
lynchpin of the UK
energy system, National
Grid is a behemoth that
comprises electricity
and gas transmission in
England and the system
operator role for the UK
power grid, together
with a host of ancillary
functions. It also has
operations in the US
and a continued stake
in UK gas distribution
via Cadent, formerly
National Grid Gas
Distribution.
Why it matters: National
Grid is at the heart of UK
energy and is vital to the
energy transition. Its ability
to adapt will be key, but
some fear it may not be
ready to deal with the deep
engineering challenges
that lie ahead. It also faces
political scrutiny about
perceived conflicts of
interest among its various
roles, together with the
ongoing pressure to
guarantee supply security.
w
w
w
.
u
t
i
l
i
t
y
w
e
e
k
l
i
v
e
.
c
o
.
u
k
9. WHO: SSE/NPOWER
What's the deal?
SSE and Npower
are combining their
household energy
supply businesses,
shaking up the
profile of dominant
market players. At
the beginning of
November the two
firms said they were in
well-advanced talks to
create an independent
energy supply firm.
The new business will
start with a combined
customer base of almost
13 million energy
customers, rivalling
British Gas.
Why it matters: If the
merger goes ahead, the big
six will become the big five.
It's hard to say what the
impact of this will be. Npower
was a poor performer on
customer satisfaction. It may
be that expanded resources
will allow it to bring ideas to
market that it struggled to
deliver before.
Then, too, there's the
potential that the new
"SENPower" business will
be swiftly touted for sale
in 2018, once formalities
around the merger are
complete – but who will
buy? An incumbent? Or an
unexpected new player?
10. WHO: SUPERMARKETS
What's the deal?
Supermarkets could
move beyond groceries
and become energy
producers, for both
themselves and
their surrounding
communities.
Lithium-ion batteries
in supermarket car
parks could store
power and charge
customers' electric
vehicles while they
shop (helping overcome
the infrastructural
limitation of a limited
number of public
chargers). Supermarkets
have an enviable
position at the heart of
the community.
Why it matters: The
supermarket of the future
could transform the energy
grid and potentially help it
to become safer, cleaner and
more flexible. Supermarkets
could become a key part of
the decentralised energy
system of tomorrow, and set
a new standard for efficiency
by sharing surplus energy.
I N A S S O C I A T I O N W I T H
UTILITY WEEK | 26TH JANUARY - 1ST FEBRUARY 2018 |
15
I N A S S O C I A T I O N W I T H
