The Indepen Forum For the times they are a changin’. Is the Government’s Strategy and Policy Statement for Energy Policy in Great Britain smart enough? Tuesday, 19 September 2023 ›National Grid offices, 1-3 Strand, London WC2N 5EH 6pm - 9pm
CONTENTS The 19 September Indepen Forum
1
Chair and speakers
2
Agenda & Participant list
3
About us: Indepen and the Indepen Forum
5
Our team & Associates
6
2023 Forum programme
8
Past events
10
The Social Contract Summit
11
Supported by:
THE 19 SEPTEMBER INDEPEN FORUM
CHAIR & SPEAKERS
FOR THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGIN’. IS THE GOVERNMENT’S STRATEGY AND POLICY STATEMENT FOR ENERGY POLICY IN GREAT BRITAIN SMART ENOUGH?
CHAIR
SPEAKER
Dr Tony Ballance, Chief Strategy & Regulation Officer, Cadent Gas Ltd
Kayte O’Neill, Director of Transformation, National Grid ESO
As Wikipedia says
policy – the policy outcomes
‘Ever since its release, the song has been influential to people’s views on society, with critics noting the universal lyrics as contributing to the song’s lasting message of change’.
the roles and responsibilities of persons who are involved in implementing that policy or who have other functions that are affected by it.
Tony is a board level executive and non-executive in the strategy, regulation and sustainability space. He works in the utility and environmental sectors with over twenty years’ experience in senior corporate, consultancy and regulatory roles.
And you might think the message is at least as relevant now as it was then, including for energy policy. The Government’s Strategy and Policy Statement for Energy Policy is open for consultation. The Forum will discuss whether it will succeed in “shakin’ our windows and rattlin’ our walls”.
Given the challenging nature of the questions the SPS is seeking to answer, does it do what it is supposed to do?
We have asked speakers to give us their assessment. To make this feasible within their 7 or 8 minutes, we have asked them to consider whether the SPS is SMART, namely whether it is Specific Measurable Achievable Resourced Timed
PriortoCadent, Tony was Director of Strategy & Regulation at Severn Trent where he performed a very similar role - and was on the Severn Trent Plc Board for eight years.
First track on the 19 64
LP - The Times Th ey Are A-Changin Come gather ’roun ’ d people W ill Wherever you roam be he who has stalle d There’s a battle outsi And admit that the de and it is ragin’ waters It’ll soon shake your Around you have gr windows and own ra ttle your walls And accept it that so on For the times they ar You’ll be drenched e a-changin’ to the bone If your time to you is worth savin’ Come mothers and Then you better sta fathers rt swimmin’ or Throughout the land you’ll sink like a sto A decade has passed since ne And don’t criticize For the times they ar the Bill requiring the SPS e a-changin’ What you can’t un derstand became law. Presumably it Your sons and your Come writers and daughters cr itics has taken this long because it Are beyond your co Who prophesize with m mand your pen has been hard to do. In case Your old road is ra And keep your eyes pi dl y agin’ w id e you had forgotten, Section Please get out of th The chance won’t co e ne w one if you me again 131(2) of the Energy Act 2013, can’t lend your hand And don’t speak to o soon For the times they ar says the SPS should set out For the wheel’s still e a-changin’ in spin And there’s no tellin’ who that it’s the strategic priorities, and namin’ The line it is drawn other main considerations, Th e curse it is cast For the loser now w ill be later to win The slow one now of HMG government in For the times they ar e a-changin’ Will later be fast formulating its energy A s the present now Come senators, cong policy for Great Britain – the ressmen W ill later be past Pl ea se heed the call strategic priorities The order is rapidly Don’t stand in the do fadin’ orway And the first one no Don’t block up the particular outcomes to w will later be hall last For he that gets hu be achieved as a result of rt For the times they ar the implementation of the e a-changin’
1
Tony is presently Chief Strategy & Regulation Officer at Cadent Gas Ltd - the largest of the UK’s gas distribution businesses-where he leads the company’s decarbonisation strategy. As well as this he is responsible for all aspects of economic regulation, including the RIIO-3 process, and its approach to sustainability.
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Tony is a passionate environmentalist and conservationist and also has extensive international/developing country experience.He has previously worked as an economic consultant in the utilities sector, as well as Ofwat’s Chief Economist. Tony is a Trustee of the Soil Association; a Council Member of the Regulatory Policy Institute;
Kayte is Director of Transformation, accountable, on behalf of ESO, for the design and delivery of the ‘Future System Operator’ for GB. Kayte joined National Grid Plc in 2002 and has held a wide variety of senior roles across the business, most recently as Head of Markets - developing markets to enable future operation of Great Britain’s electricity system on the path to net zero. Prior to that she spent three years in Boston with National Grid’s US electricity distribution businesses. She is a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Jersey Electricity.
SPEAKER Basil Scarsella, Chief Executive Officer, UK Power Networks
Dermot helps business leaders navigate strategic regulatory and competition challenges, particularly in regulated industries.
Basil Scarsella is the Chief Executive Officer of UK Power Networks, owned by the Cheung Kong Group, which is the largest Distribution Network Operator in the UK, distributing electricity to over eight million homes and businesses across London, the South East and East of England. It has some 6,500 employees in its regulated and nonregulated areas. UK Power Networks has been ranked in the Top 25 Best Big Companies to Work for the years 2015-2023 in the Sunday Times annual list and awarded Utility of the Year in the UK in 2012, 2015 and 2016 as well as Investors in People Platinum.
Dermot formerly headed up an energy regulator and worked closely with other UK regulators. He also has experience in telecoms, water, and competition policy and enforcement. His unrivalled policy and regulatory expertise gives him deep insight into the complex regulatory and policy issues that business leaders face, as well as direct experience in how to resolve them.
Prior to taking up the appointment at UK Power Networks, Basil was the CEO of Northern Gas Networks from 2005, also owned by the Cheung Kong Group, distributing gas to 2.5 million homes in the north east of England. Up until 2005, Basil was CEO of ETSA Utilities (SA Power Networks), the electricity distributor in South Australia.
Dermot was CEO of Ofgem, the UK energy regulator, from 2014-2020, and also chaired the UK regulatory network (the umbrella organisation encompassing all of Britain’s economic regulators). Prior to this, he was Executive Chair of the Irish energy and water regulator. He has also worked in competition policy and telecom regulation.
Basil holds a degree in Economics from the University of Adelaide and is a Certified Practicing Accountant. He is a Life Member of Football Australia and former Member of the Executive Committee of FIFA. He received the Australian Sports Medal in 2000 and in 2003 became a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), for services to sport.
SPEAKER Dermot Nolan, Director, Fingleton
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AGENDA & PARTICIPANT LIST
PARTICIPANT LIST
Agenda 6.00 pm 6.30 pm 6.35 pm 7.00 pm 7.40 pm 7.43 pm 7.45 pm 9.00 pm
Registration and welcome drinks Chair’s opening remarks Speaker presentations Discussion and Q&A Chair’s closing remarks Final words from Indepen Debate close, with further networking over drinks and canapés Event close
Participant list Chair Speakers
EDF
Corporate Affairs Senior Manager
CEG for National Grid Energy Distribution
Chair
Charlotte Morgan
Linklaters
Energy & Infrastructure Partner
Eleanor Mack
Fingleton
Director
Jim Marshall
AECOM
Associate Director, Water Advisory
Gary Miles
Gentrack
Chief Executive
Clive Moffatt
Moffatt Associates
Managing Consultant
Katherine Renton
Octopus
Head of Regulation
Mary Reynolds
Castle Water
Commercial Directors
Bridget Rosewell
UK Infrastructure Bank
Non-Executive Director
Nick Rutherford
Independent
Rob Salter-Church
National Grid
Head of Regulatory Strategy
Tony Ballance, Chief Strategy & Regulation Officer, Cadent Gas
Dipesh Shah
Chairman
Dermot Nolan, Director, Fingleton Kayte O’Neill, Transformation Director, National Grid ESO Basil Scarsella, Chief Executive, UK Power Networks
National Highways/ EU Marguerite Funds
Goran Strbac
Imperial College London
Professor of Energy Systems
Bill Thompson
KPMG
Director of Energy, Regulation & Policy
Participants Mark Abrams
Make Life Better
Founding Partner
Sul Alli
UK Power Networks
Director of Strategy and Customer Services
Antony Badger
Cornwall Insight
Senior Consultant
Martin Baggs
Sagacity Solutions
Non-Executive Director
Ann Bishop
CEG for UK Power Networks
Chair
Matthew Blackmur
Jacobs
Associate Director New Energy & Advisor
Christina Chinnian
National Highways
Head of Regulatory Monitoring & Strategic Asset Investment
Samuel Chivers
Stonehaven
Senior Consultant
Geoff Darch
Anglian Water
Head of Supply Demand Strategy
Chris Deacon
Portsmouth Water
Chair
David Elliott
Edwina Treacy
VISION Consulting
Digital Marketing Manager
Rita Wadey
Beyond 2050
Strategy Director
Pauline Walsh
Angel Trains
Non-Executive Director
Martin Young
Investec
Senior Analyst - Energy, Utilities, Renewables, and Waste Equity Research
Indepen John Hargreaves
Director
Abi Rowe
Team Administrator
Laura Sweeney
Associate
Associate
Ingrid Facius
Facii Associates
Director
Caroline Farquhar
Citizens Advice
Senior Policy Researcher
Rachel Fletcher
Octopus Energy
Director of Regulation and Economics
Colm Gibson
Berkeley Research Group
Managing Director
Stephen Glaister
Imperial College London
Professor Emeritus of Transport and Infrastructure
Billy Glennon
VISION Consulting
Chief Executive
Ashleye Gunn
Ofgem Stakeholder Engagement
Panel Member, Ofgem Stakeholder Engagement & Consumer Vulnerability Incentive
Jeff Hardy
Sustainable Energy Futures
Director
Jonathan Hodgkin
SEM Committee
Independent Member
Vanessa Howlison
National Highways
Chief Financial Officer
Martin Hurst
Sustainability First
Associate
Steve Johnson
Infracapital
Managing Director
Peter Luff
VISION Consulting
Director
Leonie Mackenzie
National Highways
Monitoring & RIS Compliance Director
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Jennifer Mackenzie Duncan McCombie
www.indepen.uk.com
www.indepen.uk.com
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INDEPEN AND THE INDEPEN FORUM Indepen Since 1990 Indepen has been a management consultancy working with senior people in investors, regulators, companies and supply chains in infrastructure and utilities. While our work has evolved as the sectors have changed, our main modes of operation have remained, namely helping senior clients make sure that they devote enough time to allow them to
address the strategic decisions and tradeoffs they make inform their decision making by a com-
bination of horizon scanning, common sense reflection and engagement with internal and external parties and organisations keep their governance processes sharp
and effective from board level downwards throughout the organisation are able to justify and communicate their
decisions in a coherent and convincing way with evidence that is soundly based.
Having been long in the game, our senior people have a length and depth of sector and institutional memory that may be unrivalled in the industries in which we work. One leading UK infrastructure business has been a client of Indepen client continuously since the mid-90s. We complement the skills and experience of our core team with input from our associates who have themselves played senior roles in quoted and private companies and regulators, and as academics and from our partner businesses that have complementary skills and capabilities, including in artificial intelligence, machine learning and related analytics. The Indepen Forum The Forum provides a place where new ideas and approaches can be developed, socialised and refined. The meetings of the Forum are private but not secret: they take place under The Chatham House Rule. 5
OUR TEAM
Increasingly we observe that markets, business and their customers are ahead of governments and regulators in innovation and adapting to the multiple evolving challenges we are all grappling. The Forum, and the associated series of summits we have hosted with The Water Report have a history of anticipating issues and policy developments. The topics we have covered and the chairs and speakers who have honoured the Forum with their participation are summarised at https://indepen.uk.com/ where you can find summaries of the debates we have had. Since 2018, Indepen and The Water Report have come together to host the Social Contract Summit, an opportunity for decision makers to explore how companies providing essential services infrastructure – water, energy, transport and communications – could provide more value to citizens, society and the environment. The agendas and speakers at the Summits can be seen at https://indepen.uk.com/the-summit/ The Forum is sponsored by a group of businesses all of which have been long term supporters. The sponsors have the opportunity to propose topics and speakers and to issue invitations to the events. Most of the Forum debates take pace in central London but we are keen to include other locations and this year we have held events in Leeds and Edinburgh. As well as the regular Forum events we convene and facilitate roundtables where smaller groups of interested parties can explore their thinking on a particular aspect of a Forum debate or any other issue which is central to the development of government and regulatory policy, particularly where change is needed.
CHAIR: Ann Bishop
DIRECTOR: John Hargreaves
›I have spent the last 37 years working in the regulated environment with boards and investors in water, energy, transport, telecoms, financial services, social housing and higher education.
›I am an economist and have been a
I am founder and Chair of Indepen, and lead the Indepen Forum, which was established in 1995 to bring together infrastructure businesses, policy makers, regulators, investors, customer representatives, the supply chain and others to debate topical and often controversial issues which might not otherwise be considered in such a diverse environment. I am chair of UK Power Networks’ Customer Engagement Group, established in 2019 to ensure that the DNO’s business plan for 2023-2028 reflects the needs and preferences of customers now and in the future. Before establishing Indepen, I worked for P&O, Chase Manhattan Bank, County Bank and the strategy group of Deloitte consultancy, specialising in the financial services and retail sectors. I have previously served as a Board Member at Leeds Beckett University and Chair of its Remuneration Committee; Deputy Chair of Opera North; an Ambassador for Wellbeing of Women, the charitable arm of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists; a member of Ofwat’s Expert Panel; a Commissioner of the London First Infrastructure Commission; and an INED at Affinity Water.
ASSOCIATE: Bridget
Rosewell CBE, MA, MPhil, FICE, FACSS, FSPE
›Bridget Rosewell is an experienced director, policy maker and economist, with a track record in advising public and private sector clients on key strategic issues. She chairs Atom Bank and the M6 Toll Company and is a non-executive for the UK Infrastructure Bank and Northumbrian Water Group. Among other roles, she has been a Commissioner for the National Infrastructure Commission, chaired DVSA, been Senior Independent Director for Network Rail and Chief Economic Adviser to the Greater London Authority. She was appointed CBE in December 2018 and is also a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Academy of Social Science and the Society of Professional Economists. She writes on finance, risk and uncertainty as well as infrastructure and modelling validation. She has worked extensively on cities, infrastructure and finance, advising on projects in road and rail and on major property developments and regeneration. She has advised on changes to planning regulation and TfL’s finances and has appeared at planning Inquiries.
I’ve worked in the water, energy, telecommunications and transportation sectors and advised government departments, regulatory and competition agencies and numerous investor-owned businesses in the UK and around the world. As well as serving infrastructure clients, I led the mergers and acquisitions team at Deloitte and worked with UK government agencies on areas of public policy including education, health, and social housing. Just now I am advising investor-owned businesses in the UK on their regulatory strategies, helping them to access new markets and services, attract investment and deliver outcomes that meet the economic, environmental and social challenges they face.
ASSOCIATE: Dr Melvyn Weeks
›I am an Associate Professor in Economics at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Clare College and an associate of Indepen. I have previously worked as Senior Economic Advisor to Ofgem. This work focused on the provision of advice relating to the benchmarking of costs for electricity companies. I have also provided advice to the regulator for the DPCR5, RIIOED1, RIIO-GD1 and RIIO-T1 price reviews. I prepared expert evidence for Ofgem in the wake of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) inquiry into a number of aspects relating to price setting during RIIO-ED1. More recently, I have represented a gas company in providing evidence to the CMA in the area of cost assessment for RIIO-GD2, and I have worked with a distribution network operator, providing advice on a number of issues relating to RIIO-ED2 including cost assessment and flexibility markets. I have advised Ofwat, Ofcom and other regulatory bodies on issues relating to incentive design, welfare effects of policies and econometric modelling. I have also carried out quality assurance of data and evidence on behalf of regulatory bodies – a recent example concerning the safety of smart motorways. My key interests lie in micro-econometrics, particularly discrete choice models, modelling demand systems in empirical industrial organisation, revealed and stated preference models, model testing and evaluation, computationally intensive methods including machine learning, simulation-based inference and the bootstrap, and convergence within and across countries. I am also adviser to the smart meter analytics platform company SMAP Energy and digital technology company Fetch.AI.
We welcome ideas for Forum and round table topics. Please contact John Hargreaves or Ann Bishop john.hargreaves@indepen. uk.com and ann.bishop@indepen.uk.com. www.indepen.uk.com
lecturer, a civil servant and have worked in management consultancy and in corporate finance teams. I start from the position that the questions are more important than the answer.
At Indepen I provide leadership and support on projects relating to markets and incentives, with a focus on statistics and econometrics. www.indepen.uk.com
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2023 FORUM PROGRAMME ASSOCIATE: David Elliott ›I have over 30 years’ experience in the utilities sector, primarily the water industry, at all levels including 10 years as an Executive Director at Wessex Water. More recently I worked as Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer at Wessex Water helping them migrate to a modern and agile water service provider based upon an open-system model enabling Wessex to deliver greater customer and environmental value. I am a systems thinker, and have particular interest and experience in how markets, through the use of digital business models, can encourage better system design. One of my key areas of specialism is how natural capital can contribute to some of our societal and environmental issues today, and how customers, as prosumers can contribute to better outcomes. I have experience with a number of start ups including founding EnTrade, an exciting online trading platform for environmental services that enables businesses to collaborate on investments to improve environmental and societal outcomes. I have also served as Non-Executive Director at Flipper, an energy auto-switching platform and Albion Water – an independent water and sewerage services provider for new housing developments.
ASSOCIATE: Laura Sweeney ›I have worked in various industries including the legal, finance, retail and charity sectors. In addition to running my own business in the events and services industry, I have also held roles as Legal PA to a Senior Partner, Marketing Executive, Development Officer and Retail Manager. At Indepen, I apply my background in customer experience and events management to help manage the full programme of Indepen Forum events throughout the year.
TEAM ADMINISTRATOR: Abi Rowe
›I provide administrative support to Indepen directors and associates, ensuring that work is co-ordinated across the team and that internal communication is as effective as possible.
In the innovation and research space I recently served as a Non-Executive Director of UKWIR, specialising in water industry research and innovation.
I also manage the annual Forum planning cycle, ensure the Forum database is current and relevant and contribute to the organisation of Forum and Roundtable debates.
I am the founder of Business4Life, a leadership development programme involving setting up model businesses whose profits go to WaterAid.
My background is in project management, business development and customer service in client facing, commercial businesses.
19 January
18 April
All systems go! Social Contract Summit https://indepen.uk.com/the-summit/
“I’d do anything for love (But I won’t do that)” What will net zero do for customers other than cost them a lot of money?
›RSA London
21 February Penny wise - pound foolish? Regulatory focus on squeezing network costs puts at risk getting the new networks we need to achieve Net Zero and make energy affordable and secure.
Chair: Basil Scarsella, CEO, UK Power Networks Speakers: • Graham Taylor, Senior Vice President, Infrastructure Finance, Moody’s Investors • Ben Wilson, Chief Strategy & External Affairs Officer at National Grid • Jane Dennett-Thorpe, Deputy Director, Net Zero Strategy, Ofgem
›The Stanley Building, 7 Pancras Square,
King’s Cross, London, N1C 4AG
08 March Mind the widening gap! How can private and public investment interact to stimulate innovation in parts of the UK with untapped potential?
Chair: Johnson Cox, CEO, London Port Authority Speakers: • Lord Matthew Taylor, Chair of Kensa • Piers Williamson, CEO, Housing Finance Corporation • Louise Wilson, Joint Managing Director, Abundance
›The Stanley Building, 7 Pancras Square,
King’s Cross, London, N1C 4AG
18 May How to bake a bigger infrastructure cake without breaking too many eggs Do we need evolution or revolution of infrastructure policy and regulation? Chair: • Tony Cocker, Senior Independent Director, SSE Speakers: • Matt Bevington, Practice Director, Global Counsel • Martin Hurst, Associate, Sustainability First • David Black, CEO, Ofwat (first respondent)
›The Stanley Building, 7 Pancras Square,
King’s Cross, London, N1C 4AG.
Chair • Councillor Susan Hinchcliff, Bradford Council Speakers: • Bridget Rosewell CBE, Non-executive Director, UK Infrastructure Bank • Ian Smyth, CEO, Electricity North West • Gareth Mills, Regulation and Strategic Planning Director, Northern Gas Network (first respondent)
›The Queens Hotel, Leeds
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www.indepen.uk.com
www.indepen.uk.com
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2023 FORUM PROGRAMME 21 June Crisis begets reform: serving the retail markets for energy How does energy retail market reform balance consumers’ needs, competition and regulation and maintain an investable market – all while meeting net zero? Chair: • Jonson Cox, Chair, The Port of London Authority
Speakers: • Jonathan Brearley, CEO, Ofgem • Iain Smedley, Global Chairman of Banking, Barclays
Bank • Dame Clare Moriarty, CEO, Citizens Advice
›The Stanley Building, 7 Pancras Square,
King’s Cross, London, N1C 4AG.
18 July Refer, appeal or grin and bear it? Comparing the “appeal” processes in infrastructure; are the differences justified? Chair: • Colm Gibson, Managing Director, Berkeley Research
Group Speakers: • Thea Hutchinson, Director, Price Review, Ofwat. • Natura Gracia, Antitrust & Foreign Investment Partner, Linklaters • Harold Hutchinson, Managing Director, Co-Head of Energy at Investec • Martin Young, Senior Analyst - Energy, Utilities, Renewables, and Waste Equity Research, Investec
›Berkeley Research Group, 8 Salisbury
Square London EC4Y 8AP
19 September For the times they are a changin’ Is the Government’s Strategy and Policy Statement for Energy Policy in Great Britain smart enough? Chair: • Tony Ballance, Chief Strategy & Regulation Officer, Cadent Gas
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PAST EVENTS
Speakers: • Kayte O’Neill, Director of Transformation, National Grid • Basil Scarsella, Chief Executive, UKPN • Dermot Nolan, Director, Fingleton
›National Grid Offices, 1-3 Strand, London
WC2N 5EH
17 October New ownership models for water companies Has the water company chicken that laid the golden eggs shuffled off its mortal coil? Could a new model for company ownership revive it?
Chair: • Iain Smedley, Global Chairman, Barclays Bank Speakers: • Mike Keil, Senior Director of Policy, Research and Campaigns at CCW • Alan Sutherland, CEO, Water Industry Commission for Scotland • Susan Davy, CEO, Pennon Group
›National Grid Offices, 1-3 Strand, London
WC2N 5EH
21 November Why bother with a calculator when you haven’t mastered the abacus Our proposition is that regulated infrastructure businesses lag behind when it comes to using artificial intelligence, advanced analytics and open data to further customers’ interests, despite the mountains of available and relevant data. Chair: • Andy Green CBE, Chair of the Lowell Group and Chair of Gentrack Speakers: • Anita Dougall, CEO of Sagacity Solutions • Matthew Little, Head of Innovation, Improvement and IT Group (3iG) at Northern Gas Networks
›National Grid Offices, 1-3 Strand, London
WC2N 5EH
2022 Forums
2021 Forums
16 February Scream if you wanna go faster! Is activism more effective than regulation at driving change in economic infrastructure?
19 January Save paradise – can new financing arrangements for nature-based solutions defeat the parking lot and the pink hotel
Chair: The Rt Hon the Lord Deben, Chairman, Climate Change Committee
21 April Asking the wrong people the wrong questions for the wrong reasons. Are we using the wrong information to understand what customers need and want?
Chair: Bridget Rosewell CBE, Commissioner, National Infrastructure Commission Speakers: Ed Humpherson, Director General for Regulation at the Office for Statistics Regulation James Walker, Non-Executive Director at Consumer Scotland
26 April Have economic consultants hijacked energy and water price regulation?
Chair: Sir Ian Byatt, first Director General of Ofwat (1989 to 2000) Speakers: Mark Falcon, Director of Zephyre Andy Manning, Principal Economic Regulation Specialist, Citizens Advice Professor Tommaso Valletti, Head of the Department of Economics & Public Policy, Imperial College Business School Simon Wilde, Director of Analysis & Assurance at Ofgem
10 May Go to jail! Do not pass go! Do not collect £200! Do directors of licensed monopolies have more to think about and if so, what? Chair: Christine Hodgson CBE, Chair:, Severn Trent Water Speakers: Michael Osbourne Investment Director InfraRed Capital Partners Ltd Jonson Cox CBE, former Chairman, Ofwat
26 May We’re on the road to nowhere. Come on inside. Who gets left behind in the migration to net zero?
Chair: Trisha McAuley OBE Speakers: Keith Anderson, CEO, Scottish Power Sean Duffy, Chief Executive Officer, Wise Group Simon Parsons, Director of Strategic Customer Service Planning Scottish Water Alan Sutherland, CEO, WICS
www.indepen.uk.com
Chair: Laura Sandys CBE, CEO, Challenging Ideas Speaker:s Sul Alli, Director of Strategy and Customer Services, UK Power Networks Tony Ballance, Chief Strategy & Regulation Officer, Cadent Gas Dermot Nolan, Director, Fingleton and former CEO, Ofgem
16 March Life in lockdown – has Covid taught us anything about evidence, uncertainty and communication?
Chair: Ann Bishop, Founder of Indepen and the Indepen Forum, Chair: of the Customer Engagement Group (CEG) for UK Power Networks and NonExecutive Director of Affinity Water Speaker:s Martin Blaxall, Director, Corporate Brand and Communications, AstraZeneca Ali Chegini, Director of Systems Safety and Health, RSSB Ed Humpherson, Director General for Regulation, Office for Statistics Regulation Ben Page, Chief Executive Officer, Ipsos MORI
20 April How ‘appealing’ is the utilities sector? What should the CMA and Ofwat learn from PR19 and what might this mean for RIIO-2? Chair: John Penrose, MP for Weston, Worle & The Villages Speaker:s Maxine Frerk, Chair:, SGN Customer Engagement Group Ceri Jones, Chair:, WaterSafe Stephen Littlechild, Emeritus Professor at the University of Birmingham, and Fellow at Cambridge Judge Business School Angela Love, Director of Future Markets and Engagement, Elexon and Independent Chair:, ScottishPower RIIO2 Transmission User Group
18 May Who should pay to transform our environment?
Chair: Jonson Cox CBE, Chairman, Ofwat Speaker:s The Rt. Hon John Gummer, Lord Deben, Chairman, Committee on Climate Change
22 June Up, down, round and round – rising up to the challenge of levelling up
7 September They tried to make me to go to Rehab.... Why regulators need to stop saying no, no no.
20 July Déjà-vu: why do megaprojects go wrong? How can we fix them?
Chair: Bridget Rosewell CBE, FICE, MA, MPhil, Commissioner, National Infrastructure Commission Speakers: Dr Jeff Hardy, Senior Research Fellow at the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London Laura Sandys CBE, CEO of Challenging Ideas Chair: Colm Gibson, Managing Director at Berkeley Research Group Speakers: Tony Ballance, Chief Strategy & Regulation Officer at Cadent Gas Sonia Brown, Vice President of UK&I Government Engagement and Regulatory Policy at Visa Europe Stephen Littlechild, Emeritus Professor at the University of Birmingham and Fellow at Cambridge Judge Business School
20 September This ain’t no technological breakdown. Oh no, this is the road to hell. How to stop siloed transport policy becoming a cul de sac? Chair:; Pauline Walsh, Non Executive Director, Angel Trains Speakers: Anit Chandarana, Lead Director on the Great British Railways Transition Team Elliot Shaw, Chief Customer and Strategy Officer at National Highways Christian Wolmar, transport writer and broadcaster
20 October We can’t go on together with suspicious minds. How do we make collaboration for innovation meaningful and sustainable? Chair: Gus O’Donnell, Chairman, Frontier Economics Speakers: David Black, CEO, Ofwat Colin Skellett, CEO, Wessex Water
Chair: Nicholas Pollard, Chair: of Tilbury Douglas Group Speakers: Ingrid Facius, Director at Facii Paul Ormerod, Director at Volterra Cathryn Ross, Strategy and Regulatory Affairs Director at Thames Water
The Indepen Forum Christmas Reception ›TBA in Central London
16 February Groundhog Day: how can we create policy credibility to engender public support for paying for net zero
7 July Give me land lots of land under starry skies above just don’t fence me in! Opening the gate to whole system thinking
7 November Model, model toil and trouble! How must we change the model that underlies economic regulation in the UK?
December – date tbc.
Chair: Richard Nourse, Founder and Managing Partner, Greencoat Capital Speaker:s David Black, Chief Regulation Officer, Ofwat David Young, Senior Fellow, Broadway Initiative
31 January Indepen Forum New Year Reception Speaker: The Rt Hon the Lord David Blunkett
Chair: Bridget Rosewell CBE, Commissioner, National Infrastructure Commission Speaker:s The Rt Hon. Lord Blunkett Susan Davy, Chief Executive Officer, Pennon Group Martin McIvor, Research Officer, Prospect
Chair: David Elliott, Director, Indepen Speaker:s Howard Ashcraft, Partner, Hanson Bridgett law firm & Adjunct Professor Civil & Environmental Engineering, Stanford University Billy Glennon, Chief Executive Officer, VISION Consulting Nicola Medalova, Managing Director, National Grid Interconnectors Colin Nicol, Senior Advisor & former Managing Director of Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks
21 September We want it all and we want it now. Infra companies should invest more, but economic regulators worry they will make out like bandits. Discuss! Chair: Dr Tim Stone CBE, Chairman, Nuclear Industry Association Speaker:s Filipp Gaddo, Head of Energy Economics and Regulation, Arup Steve McMahon, Deputy Director, Electricity Distribution and Cross Sector Policy, Ofgem Cathryn Ross, Strategy and Regulatory Affairs Director, Thames Water
19 October Nothing learned and nothing gained? All together now – collaborating across the infrastructure sectors and beyond to achieve Net Zero Chair: Dr Jeff Hardy, Senior Research Fellow at the Grantham Institute Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London Speaker:s Alex Plant, Strategy and Regulation Director, Anglian Water Bridget Rosewell CBE, Commissioner, National Infrastructure Commission Dipesh Shah OBE, Chair:, National Highways
7 December Well, it’s a marvellous night for a moondance! Solving problems to get to net zero
Chair: Rachel Fletcher, Director of Regulation and Economics at Octopus Energy Speaker: Neil Harris, Sustainability Strategy and Innovation Lead at Amazon Web Services
The notes of these discussions are available on the indepen website: www.indepen.uk.com/questions www.indepen.uk.com
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THE SOCIAL CONTRACT SUMMIT Introduction Since 2018, Indepen and The Water Report have partnered to host the Social Contract Summit, a forum for decision makers to explore how companies providing essential services infrastructure – water, energy, transport and communications – could provide more value to citizens, society and the environment.
2018 – Defining the social contract At the Summit’s inception in 2018, social contracting – and the wider idea that essential service companies should deliver more for society and the environment than demanded by their formal obligations or gifted by their charitable contributions – was not the mainstream conversation it is today.
Defining the sociAl contrAct
essential public services, private business and better outcomes for society A summit from
Against a backdrop of perceived failings in the delivery of essential public services, the 2018 Summit brought industry leaders together with regulators, politicians, investors and those representing social and environmental interests to address the fundamental question: how can private companies providing essential public services deliver better outcomes for society? suppor ted by
We also specifically explored and attempted to define the contribution a social contract between essential service companies and their investors on one hand, and customers through government and regulators on the other, could make to rebuilding trust in the industries that underpin our lives.
2019 – Value for all
Our 2019 Summit therefore focused on issues relating to public value delivery in the water sector, such as how megatrends like
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climate change, demographics and technology might impact future service provision, the role of regulation in public value delivery, governance considerations to embed public purpose within companies, the need for greater and more effective collaboration, and the role and nature of engagement with consumers and communities.
2020 – Public purpose in a pandemic In 2020, the Summit convened virtually to explore how water companies were demonstrating ‘public purpose in a pandemic’.
2020 SOCIAL CONTRACT TOPIC GUIDE
SUMMIT EVENT REPORT
As anchor institutions in their regions and with the PUBLIC PURPOSE IN A PANDEMIC privilege of providing an essential monopoly service, we looked at how water companies were supporting their communities, and contributing to strengthening the economy, enhancing the environment, as well as exploring how the experience of Covid-19 had affected the attitudes and behaviours of those they serve. Indepen and The Water Report’s online 2020 Social Contract Summit considered the next steps for the water sector in demonstrating public purpose, in the wake of Covid-19. Over three sessions which ran on 3rd, 10th and 24th November, we looked at environmental, economic and social impacts and responses, and combined perspectives from sector leaders and young professionals.
etc.venues county hAll, Westminster • 6 november 2018
By 2019, the concept of social value had been enthusiastically adopted, particularly by the water sector where there was considerable progress to report.
NOTES
2019 SOCIAL CONTRACT
A summit from
Supported by
We considered what companies could do alone and what they needed agreement, support and partners for. Importantly, we discussed what lessons we might learn from this unique chance to break the mould and do things differently for future models of operation, regulation and policy.
2022: Whole systems go! Against this backdrop, our Social Contract Summit considered whether a whole systems approach to collaborating on shared challenges across sectors and actors could offer a key to the deadlock of rising expectations and constrained resources.
information on the S U M M I T Further themes and issues we have
VALUE FOR ALL 5 NOVEMBER 2019 • CENTRAL HALL WESTMINSTER THE
A summit from
WATER
REPORT
WHOLE
SYSTEMS
GO!
Could a systems thinking approach deliver more for less in the face of a climate, nature and cost of living crisis? EVENT INFORMATION
A summit from
S O C I A L CO N T R AC T
SUMMIT
19 JANUARY – RSA HOUSE, LONDON Supported by
explored is available at www. indepen.uk.com/ the-summit.
POLICY | REGULATION | COMPETITION
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The event was held in RSA, London on Thursday 19 January. www.indepen.uk.com
www.indepen.uk.com
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Supported by