National Grid: Innovation key for a more flexible energy system

  New technologies are cruicial in moving towards a flexible energy system that welcomes new players. That’s according to Cordi O’Hara, Director of UK System Operator at National Grid. Speaking […]

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New technologies are cruicial in moving towards a flexible energy system that welcomes new players.

That’s according to Cordi O’Hara, Director of UK System Operator at National Grid.

Speaking at the grid operator’s Power Responsive conference, she highlighted innovation is important towards balancing the energy market and the transition to a low carbon system.

The Power Responsive campaign is a collaborative programme that aims to grow participation of demand side response in the UK by 2020.

Ms O’Hara told ELN: “We’ve had a rapid improvement in the cost competitiveness of battery storage for example so we see this huge opportunity to create more flexible markets for a wider range of players and as we get more renewables on the network, then that need to really have a more flexible system that is reliable and always on is all about taking it forward in the Power Responsive this year.”

She said they are working alongside governments and regulators to create a level playing field in the market and guarantee security of supply as new technologies are coming online in the country’s energy system and power sources such as coal are expected to be offline in the coming years.

Ms O’Hara added: “It’s clear we are in a transition. Traditional forms of generation are slowly coming off the network, new forms are going to come on in the form of interconnectors, new renewables, distributed embedded generators and of course demand side. We are focused on really trying to create a level playing field for all those new players working alongside regulators and governments around those new incentive mechanisms that we administer.

“We need to work with government and regulators to ensure that overall market structures evolve over time because of course we’re still on 3% of the balancing market.”

According to MPs on the Energy and Climate Change Committee, National Grid should be broken up to prevent potential conflicts of interests.

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