National Grid Electricity Distribution to be headline partner for Flex Awards

Utility Week is delighted to unveil National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) as the headline partner for the Flex Awards and Flex Stage at Utility Week Live 2024, 21-22 May at Birmingham’s NEC.

The Flex Awards, now open for entries, are designed to celebrate the pioneers in the emerging energy flexibility market. The Flex Stage is part of a wider focus on energy flexibility across Utility Week and Utility Week Live and features two days of free-to-attend content exploring issues such as market design, customer engagement and technical enablement.

Utility Week portfolio director Ellen Bennett said: “Energy flexibility is a critical enabler for net zero – but it will never get off the ground unless the industry’s stakeholders come together to make it happen. Utility Week and Utility Week Live are committed to supporting the emerging market at a key moment in its inception, and the Flex Awards are a really important part of that. We’re looking for pioneers and innovators who are spreading awareness, trying new things, and getting schemes off the ground. These are the people making things happen – the people we need to celebrate.

“UWL24 is also delighted to be launching the Flex Stage, offering a free to attend conference programme exploring the potential of the new market, the opportunities it creates, and the challenges it faces. Only through bringing people together can we hope to solve those challenges.

“As one of the key DSO players and a founding proponent of the market, we’re delighted to welcome NGED on board as our headline partner for energy flexibility and look forward to working with them and our select panel of award judges to highlight and celebrate best practice.”

Cordi O’Hara, President of National Grid Electricity Distribution said: “The energy system is undergoing one of the most significant transitions we have seen in over a decade, as we shift towards a net zero economy and society. The utilisation of flexibility services will be instrumental in meeting increasing demand and generation connections, enabling the adoption of new low carbon technologies, and creating new markets that allow customers to save energy and money.

“We’re incredibly excited to be taking on the role of Headline Partner for Energy Flexibility and to be supporting the inaugural Flex Stage and awards at Utility Week Live 2024. We must celebrate success and innovation across the industry, whilst also having open conversations about the importance of future flexible energy markets and the benefits they can bring. Only by doing so will we drive change and maximise value for energy customers.”

UWL24 is the home of innovation in utilities and the all-new Energy Flexibility stage provides a platform for stakeholder collaboration to support the emerging policy and mechanisms as well as technical solutions for flexibility. Speakers include Francis Mosley, head of enabling flexibility markets, Ofgem; José Davila, director of strategy and external affairs, Eon; Amy Weltevreden, head of flexibility market strategy; National Grid ESO, Kieron Stopforth, senior manager, flexibility, Octopus, Geraldine Paterson, innovation manager, Electricity North West, Avi Aithal, head of open networks, Energy Network Association, Nina Klein, interim head of enabling flexibility markets, Ofgem, and Ben Godfrey, DSO director, National Grid Electricity Distribution.

The Flex Awards include categories for best innovation in energy flexibility; flexibility service provider of the year; and flexibility pioneer of the year. Entries close on 8 March. Enter here. Click here to see the full programme of energy flexibility content at Utility Week Live 2024, and register to attend the event at no cost here.