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five, once the SSE/Npower merger goes through, a move that in itself is set to cause disrup on throughout the industry, if our survey responses are to be believed. And as noted by IET energy policy panel chair Simon Harrison (page 22), water and network companies are striking by their absence, (except for Na onal Grid). He ques ons whether some might consider this a sign that lessons learnt within networks from innova on projects, may not be being put to best effect – which remains a ma er of opinion – but what is less subjec ve is the need for change. As new business models rise to maturity, the door is opening for "asset light" intermediaries to make an appearance. So if there's one conclusion to be drawn, it's that u li es of all kinds must decide if they want to contest their tradi onal dominance, or fall quietly by the wayside. Visit www.u lityweeklive.co.uk TOP TEN COMPANIES DISRUPTING UTILITIES Tesla Google Amazon A company that doesn't exist yet Water retailers Small energy suppliers Centrica/Bri sh Gas Na onal Grid SSE/Npower Supermarkets WHO: TESLA What's the deal: Founded in 2003, the American automo ve developer has to date designed and manufactured three models of electric car. In sunny California it also produces solar panels and a line of commercial and residen al ba ery products, and says its ul mate aim is a zero-emissions future. The company's Model S was the world's best-selling plug-in electric car in both 2015 and 2016, and at the beginning of 2017 its forecasted produc on plan was to be rolling out 500,000 vehicles a year by 2018. Why it ma ers: You won't be shocked to hear automo ve companies manufacturing electric vehicles (EVs) dominated survey responses, but Tesla was the name that cropped up most of all, for EVs but also its ba ery storage solu ons. The company was said to be driving innova on, which will encourage others to follow and challenge it. Formed in response to the mass recall of all General Motor's (GM's) electric vehicles, the company seems to know how and when to ride a trend and leave others in their emission-free exhaust fumes. And if further proof of this were needed, last year Tesla won a bid to build the world's biggest lithium ion ba ery for South Australia, which has suffered a string of blackouts over the past 18 months. Say what?: "If their ba ery storage schemes went mainstream we would massively reduce our carbon footprint, and that's something that we're more and more aware of." "They could reduce the requirement for network infrastructure and energy retail, which would change the ball game completely." - Survey respondents WHO: GOOGLE What's the deal: If you haven't heard of Google, the rock you've been living under must be very heavy, and there must be no Wi-Fi signal there. The brainchild of Sergey Brin and Larry Page in 1998, more than 70 per cent of worldwide online search requests are now handled by Google. Originally a web-based search engine, today it offers more than 50 internet services and products, from email and online document crea on to so ware for mobile phones and tablet computers. Its 2012 acquisi on of Motorola Mobility meant it can also now sell hardware in the form of mobile phones. Google's broad product por olio and size make it one of the top four influen al companies in the high-tech marketplace. Why it ma ers: The internet giant's ability to glean and mone se data insight was noted as key, as well as its work with ar ficial intelligence (AI), and its poten al to become an energy pla orm in its own right – and as a result of all three, the capacity it has to offer innova ve new products. Say what?: "Google and Amazon feel like they are wai ng and seeing whether the energy sector looks appealing enough to make a true market entry. However, if they decide to pounce more aggressively through Google Home or Alexa the whole sector will be in for a shock. Owning no assets but millions of customers and without any reputa onal baggage, they could redefine the sector's business model." – Laura Sandys, former MP, entrepreneur and CEO of Challenging Ideas I N A S S O C I A T I O N W I T H NETWORK / 21 / FEBRUARY 2018