event-speakers

Keynote speakers

The Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP

Minister of State

David Smith

Energy Networks Association

Dr Mark Taylor

BEIS

Claire Dykta

National Grid

Dr Gunhild A. Reigstad

SINTEF Energy Research

Antonella Battaglini

Renewables Grid Initiative

Heiko Staubitz

Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI)

Mark McGranaghan

Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)

Steve McMahon

OfGem

Matthew Billson

BEIS

Kristian RUBY

Secretary General Union of the Electricity Industry - Eurelectric

Duncan Clark

Ørsted

Guest speakers

Audrey Gallacher

Energy UK

Guy Newey

Energy Systems Catapult

Juan Marco

E.DSO

Prof. Keith Bell

University of Strathclyde

Dr Peter D. Couch

Joint Radio Company

Dr Richard Dobson

Energy Systems Catapult

Dr Douglas Parr

Greenpeace UK

Dr Elizabeth Blakelock

Citizens Advice

Peter Smith

National Energy Action (NEA)

Maxine Frerk

Grid Edge Policy

Cllr Kevin Frea

Climate Emergency UK

Guy Newey

Guy Newey is Director of Strategy and Performance at Energy Systems Catapult, overseeing policy, marketing and communications, and stakeholder relations for the Catapult, as well as being responsible for developing and monitoring the Catapult’s overall strategy.

He joined Energy Systems Catapult in September 2018 after being Energy and Climate Adviser to Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Greg Clark. Guy was previously Special Adviser to former Energy Secretary Amber Rudd. Before that he was Head of Policy at energy supplier, Ovo Energy and worked at the think tank, Policy Exchange, where he was Head of Environment and Energy. He was previously a journalist, including three years as a foreign correspondent in Hong Kong for the newswire, AFP. He is a non-executive director with UK100, a charity campaigning for greater action by local authorities on environmental issues.

Juan Marco

Mr Juan Marco started with E.DSO Senior Technical Advisor in May 2018 and became Principal Director in November 2019. Juan provides support in all technical and industrial aspects of E.DSO representation and project development in smart grid technologies. He also represents E.DSO in specialised platforms and working groups where the association is active.

Since 2003 he has held different management roles in Iberdrola Distribution, first in the Business Development and Integration department and, since 2011, running the electrical network in north Madrid with responsibility for over 400,000 customers.

He holds a degree in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M, graduate studies in Gas Distribution and Urban Planning from the Universidad Jaime I de Castellon (Spain) and a Masters Degree in International Association Management from the Solvay Brussels School.

Prof. Keith Bell

Prof. Keith Bell holds the Scottish Power Chair in Smart Grids at the University of Strathclyde. He joined the University in 2005 having previously worked as an electrical engineering researcher in Bath, Manchester and Naples, and as a system development engineer in the electricity supply industry in Britain.

He is a co-Director of the multi-disciplinary UK Energy Research Centre, an invited expert member of CIGRE Study Committee C1 on System Development and Economics and a member of the UK’s Committee on Climate Change. He is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and has advised the Scottish Government, UK government, the Republic of Ireland government, the Northern Ireland Executive and Ofgem on electrical energy and power systems issues.

Dr Peter D. Couch

Dr Peter D Couch is Chief Executive Officer at Joint Radio Company working with the energy utilities to establish the optimum regulatory regime to facilitate the smart grid future. An innovative, highly driven strategic thinker with 20 years’ experience of enhancing enterprise value in regulated businesses within the Energy, Technology, Media and Telecommunications sectors.

At JRC Peter is responsible for all management and operational activities supporting the operational telecommunications needs of the UK energy utilities and works closely with key stakeholders in BEIS, Ofgem, DCMS and Ofcom to ensure that the UK Energy sector has the appropriate spectrum rights to facilitate smart grid developments.

Dr Richard Dobson

Richard leads the Data Systems Practice at the Energy Systems Catapult, providing the Energy sector with support and guidance to digitalise the energy system and realise greater value from data. Richard led content development for the Energy Data Taskforce and co-authored ‘A Strategy for a Modern Digital Energy System’ which advocates a ‘presumed open’ approach for energy system data.

Prior to joining the Energy sector, Richard ran a range of data-centric innovation projects across Telecommunications, International Development and Technology.

Dr Douglas Parr, Policy Director, Greenpeace UK

Dr Douglas Parr is Policy Director at Greenpeace UK. He has specialised in climate change policy across the Power, Heat and Transport sectors for many years, and all aspects of the social and economic transition. He also monitors developments in issues such as bioenergy, agriculture and land use.

He has previously worked on a number of issues including chemicals policy, green refrigeration, waste and marine conservation.

Dr Elizabeth Blakelock, Principal Policy Manager – Energy Supplier Monitoring and Performance, Citizens Advice

Elizabeth joined the Citizens Advice in 2017. Her main focus is delivering rigorous insight on retail market outcomes for consumers through monitoring industry performance. This work ensures that Citizens Advice can deliver leading research and advocacy on domestic and micro-business consumer experience to ensure appropriate regulation and policy in energy markets.

Prior to joining Citizens Advice, Elizabeth worked for over a decade on affordability challenges in the UK energy markets in industry and as an academic researcher.

Peter Smith, Director of Policy and Research, National Energy Action (NEA)

Peter has been at NEA since July 2010 and was appointed a director in 2016. He is responsible for overseeing the charity’s policy and research work; working with government, industry and other stakeholders to address the causes and impacts of fuel poverty. He has particular interest and expertise in the field of domestic energy efficiency and decentralised energy policy.

Peter also provides the strategic direction for NEA’s role as the secretariat of the All-Party Parliamentary Fuel Poverty and Energy Efficiency Group. Prior to joining NEA Peter played a leading role within the combined heat and power industry.

Maxine Frerk, Founder and Director, Grid Edge Policy

Until 2016 Maxine was Senior Partner Networks in Ofgem, responsible for all aspects of regulation of the distribution networks, including oversight of the NIC. Her previous roles in Ofgem spanned consumer policy, smart metering, enforcement and retail markets.

She now works as an independent consultant and thought leader on energy regulation through her company Grid Edge Policy. She is a member of Ofgem’s Electricity NIC panel, chair of SGN’s Customer Engagement Group and an Associate with the charity Sustainability First.

Innovation project presenters

Kim Hudspith, National Health and Safety Advisor, Unite

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