Agenda & Speakers | Get tickets for our Networks Day
Day Two – Networks. Wednesday 6th November 2024 from 09:00 – 12:30 GMT. See the registration link at the bottom of this page to get tickets.
Energy Security and Green Infrastructure Week is the UK’s biggest green infrastructure conference. This exclusive online-only conference features 30 high-profile speakers sharing their insights over three mornings, focusing on energy, networks, skills and diversity. Hear the latest thinking from business leaders, academics, policymakers and shapers, and solution providers. Last year, we welcomed 640 delegates – don’t miss your chance to join us this year!
Networks Day Agenda.
09:00 GMT
Opening Speeches.
Stuart R Broadley FEI, Chief Executive, Energy Industries Council.
Stuart joined the Energy Industries Council (EIC) as CEO in 2016, after a 25-year career leading global businesses in oil & gas, power, renewables and defence. Winner of the 2023 King’s Award for International Trade, the EIC is energy agnostic and one of the world’s largest energy trade associations with 950 member companies. Stuart is architect of the Energy Exports Conference, which brings 20 international delegations to the UK annually, and the World Energy Supply Chain Awards, the world’s largest energy awards programme. He authors the Survive & Thrive annual report, researching preferred supply chain growth strategies in tough markets.
James Naish MP, Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe.
For the past decade, James has worked full-time in the energy industry, leading large consumer programmes including smart metering, faster customer switching and price control business planning (2023-2028). He has also been involved as a Councillor and Council Leader, helping to secure the UK’s first fusion prototype energy plant for Bassetlaw in the north of Nottinghamshire, and promoting Local Area Energy Planning across the county. James works across industry as a Vice President of the Association for Decentralised Energy and is committed to helping the new government using his professional background. He was elected as the new MP for Rushcliffe in July 2024.
Panel Discussions
09:30 – 10:20 GMT
Decarbonising Heat: The Role of Heat Networks in Achieving Net Zero.
Join us for an essential session featuring experts on the transformative potential of heat networks in decarbonising urban heat and power. Mike Reader MP, Labour Member of Parliament for Northampton South, will open with remarks on Labour’s Green Prosperity Plan, emphasising the role of community-owned power and the environmental and economic benefits of heat networks. He’ll discuss how these systems reduce energy waste, lower carbon emissions, and empower residents by cutting energy bills. Caroline Bragg, Chief Executive of The Association for Decentralised Energy, will highlight heat networks as a cost-effective solution for driving economic growth and achieving decarbonisation. She will call for a strategic government approach to spatial planning and sector growth in heat decarbonisation. Mike Pitts, Deputy Challenge Director for Net Zero Heat at Innovate UK, will address the challenges in rolling out heat networks and outline Innovate UK’s Net Zero Heat programme, which aims to transition from gas heating to flexible, decarbonised solutions. He will focus on the importance of data, technology, and process innovation for supporting heat network growth. Bindi Patel, Head of Customer Experience & Communications at Vattenfall Heat UK will explore how heat networks offer a fair transition to net zero that also supports local economic growth and direct community benefit, but compared to other European countries, heat networks provide a small amount of heat demand in the UK. Zoning is a step in the right direction, but there remains an incohesive policy landscape that creates complexity for both developers and customers seeking to connect to heat networks.
10:30 – 11:20 GMT
The Future of Energy Storage: Balancing Flexibility and Duration for Net Zero.
Join us for an engaging session featuring leading experts discussing the critical role of energy storage in achieving the UK’s net zero goals. Prof. Martin Freer, Chief Executive of The Faraday Institution, will explore two essential approaches to managing the intermittency of future electricity generation: enhancing flexibility in consumption and developing significant-scale storage solutions. He will discuss the importance of household demand management through in-home battery storage and the role of electric vehicle batteries, as well as the contributions of grid-scale storage from large battery installations. Prof. Seamus Garvey, Professor of Dynamics from the University of Nottingham will highlight the diverse landscape of energy storage solutions required for a net zero UK. He will outline the necessity of four distinct storage duration categories—very short, short, medium, and long—and present a cost-optimised framework for their funding. With projections indicating that spending on energy storage could rival that of PV panels and wind turbines, he will argue for a re-evaluation of funding allocations to ensure a balanced and effective energy storage system. Naomi Baker, Senior Policy Manager at Energy UK, will explore the ‘level playing field’ in energy markets, addressing how market mechanisms can lower prices and whether the 2030 target will aid or hinder progress. She will also highlight the varying market readiness among flexible energy contenders, emphasising the need for subsidies or regulatory changes. Tony Dye, Chief Technology Officer at Epicam will discuss his development of scalable longer duration Liquid Air Energy Storage and Regeneration (LAESAR) technology with RTE potential of 68%, targeting storage provision to 10% of grid capacity for global power grids. LAESAR also incorporates direct capture of CO2 and CH4 from process air. It can transform Wind turbines into local energy storage sites, eliminating curtailment and simplifying grid management, forming a global population of wind facilities capable of extracting 10 gigatonnes/yr. of CO2 to repair Earth’s climate.
11:30 – 12:20 GMT
Modern Grid: Building Resilient Systems for a Cleaner Future.
Join us for an engaging session that examines the crucial need to modernise the grid and the interplay between energy and transport in building a sustainable and resilient future. Peter Ridge, Associate Director of Power at Cundall, will emphasise the importance of collaboration across industries and sectors, introducing his concept of “joining the dots.” He will explain how integrating diverse elements—such as grid capacities, land suitability, and regulatory frameworks—can lead to the development of resilient energy systems that effectively respond to the evolving needs of society. Prof. Phil Blythe CBE, Director at DARe and the former Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for Transport, will discuss the challenges posed by the electrification of various transport modes. He will highlight concerns regarding the electricity supply and distribution systems and their potential impact on the resilience of transport infrastructures. David Boyer, Director – Electricity Networks at the Energy Networks Association, will be outlining the current focuses and achievements of Britain’s network operators in modernising the Grid, from innovation to flexibility to connections reform, whilst still ensuring resilience and operability.
Registration – Get Your Tickets.
Register below for the first day of the online conference. Each day is one continuous session. If you would like to see the full three-day agenda and register for multiple days you will need to register per day, see our full three-day agenda here.
