Beama has welcomed the government’s response to the National Infrastructure Commission’s Smart Power Report.  The UK energy system faces profound challenges as it adapts to a decentralised generation mix and major new loads.  Meeting this challenge, whilst keeping down costs to consumers, demands that the UK develops and adopts innovative solutions.  Beama members are at the forefront of providing these innovations and welcome all government and regulatory support for making these ‘business as usual’ as quickly as possible.

Beama members strongly welcome the support for interconnection, storage, demand response and the development of the distribution system operator role. It will be vital to avoid making the regulations and commercial arrangements for these overly complex and expensive to operate. Ofgem should ensure that RIIO provides an appropriate balance of pressure and reward for the network companies to adopt new approaches.  The current review of P2/6, the network system reliability standard, offers an excellent opportunity to create a market for system flexibility whilst reducing costs and Ofgem should ensure this opportunity is taken.

Beama looks forward to contributing to the Government’s summer consultation on smart power.  Beama members believe the UK can take the lead in developing modern, smart networks with benefits for UK customers and the creation of large export opportunities.  However, the government must understand that as well as strong encouragement for the adoption of innovative solutions, they must also address the need for a supportive framework for the UK supply chain, putting manufacturers at the core of innovation via the NIA/NIC and the responding to the need for skilled engineers to design, build and operate the network.