UK Cities Energy Systems – Round Table Policy Workshop, 24 March 2015
As part of the ERP Cities project, a Round Table Policy workshop took place on 24th March 2015, to discuss UK Cities’ Energy Systems. Details, presentations and workshop papers are accessible below.
Please also take a look at the related Go-Science/Foresight ‘blog’ page: “Will cities, not utilities, dominate the energy landscape?”
Background
In order to fulfill the research objectives, the ERP is working with the APSE Energy Collaborative to collate the issues that Local Authorities are facing when developing their own energy systems. As a part of this collaboration, it was proposed to hold an ‘invitation-only’ Round Table Policy Workshop for up to 26 participants, bringing together local authorities, policy makers, regulators, UK innovation members, third party advocates and academics with a view to:
- Assess the state of play of UK cities desire to develop their own autonomous energy management systems;
- Allow policy makers and regulators to gain an insight into the issues that cities are facing when undertaking such initiatives; and
- Facilitate a better understanding of the key issues that are needed to address the development of cities own autonomous energy management systems.
Workshop Agenda & Presentations
0930 – 0945
Introduction – Elspeth Finch, Atkins & Mark Workman, ERP
0945 – 1000
Session 1: Implications of a highly distributed energy system: opportunities, challenges and regulatory issues
1.1: A Potential Future Vision of a UK Distributed Energy System – Dr Stephen Hall, Leeds RTP.
1000 – 1130
Session 2: UK situation and experiences of developing municipal scale energy management systems
2.1: State of Play for Local Authorities – Mark Bramah, APSE Energy
2.2: Energy Infrastructures Experience from a Core City – Jane Foreshaw, Cardiff City Council
2.3: Heat in the City – Professor Janette Webb, University of Edinburgh
2.4: The Customer Perspective – Simon Osborne, WHICH?
Discussion – chaired by Elspeth Finch, Atkins
Objectives:
- What is the state of play for municipal scale energy development
- Are these aspirations aligned with customers
- What are the key barriers to achieving municipal scale energy development – how robust are the business cases?
1130 – 1145: Break
1145 – 1315
Session 3: Energy Systems Issues, Policy and Regulatory Agendas
3.1: DNO – Systems integration of Municipal Distributed Energy – Adriana Laguna, UK Power Networks
3.2: ETI Work on Distributed Energy – Mike Colechin, ETI
3.3: What we are doing in the Community Energy space – Fiona Booth, DECC
3.4: Non Traditional Business Models Work – Stephen Bass, Ofgem
Discussion – chaired by Stephen Bass, Ofgem
Objectives:
- What is the state of policy and regulatory development to accommodate municipal scale energy development;
- What are the energy system and technical issues that need to be addressed to realise municipal scale energy development and integrate them into the future energy system; and
- How can these be overcome and what is being done about this.
1315 – 1400: Lunch
1400 – 1530
Session 4: Enabling issues are required to realise the gap between vision and experiences
4.1: Experiences in developing municipal scale energy management systems: what works in the US and why – Dave Anderson, Ameresco
4.2: Experiences with License Lite – Robert Tudway, Greater London Authority
4.3: UK Green Investment Bank plc – Malcolm Ball, Green Investment Bank
4.4: Regulatory Issues and Public Procurement Policy – Peter Feehan, Pinsent Masons
Discussion – chaired by Mark Bramah, APSE Energy
Objectives:
- What have been the key lessons drawn from experiences in the UK and US to achieving municipal scale energy development;
- What are the gaps in understanding of the Local Authorities to address their aspirations; and;
- What are the key capacity, financial, regulatory and legal enabling issues that need to be addressed to achieving municipal scale energy development.
1530 – 1600
Session 5: Summing Up and Next Steps – APSE Energy and ERP
Workshop Papers
- Assessing the impacts of increasing levels of decentralized energy in the United Kingdom Prepared by Scott Thacker, Infrastructure Transitions Research Consortium, University of Oxford.
- Experiences in Developing Municipal Scale Energy Management Systems: Key Lessons Drawn from Experiences in the United States Prepared for the UK Cities Energy Systems Round Table Policy Workshop Experiences in Developing Municipal Scale Energy Management Systems: By David J. Anderson, Executive Vice President, Ameresco.
- Licence Lite – Enabling Electricity Supply By Smaller Generators Through The Electricity Trading System: Background Prepared by Robert Tudway, Greater London Authority.