Redesigning Regulation: Powering from the future

Authors: Laura Sandys, Dr Jeff Hardy, Professor Richard Green, Dr Aidan Rhodes

The electricity sector is already going through unprecedented change, and new solutions to new challenges are ready to shape a transformed sector with new opportunities and new risks. The question is whether incremental change provided through issue specific changes, derogations or technology specific responses will unlock the new consumer and system advantages. Or should we recognise that the innovation in all parts of the system is totally transformative and changes the fundamentals of what the market is and what we need to regulate?

Regulators and policy makers are currently sitting in the middle addressing the legacy concerns while looking hesitantly at the future. They have a choice – whether to try to squeeze the transformed system into the architecture of the past or to embark on a ‘managed’ revolution to embrace the new structure of the future of electricity.

This report proposes regulatory actions needed to meet the challenges and opportunities of a transformed energy system – reimagining the market design, refocusing regulation, opening up consumer choice, and unlocking the power of supply-chain pressures while shaping a new ‘retailer’ market. In addition, it proposes much greater use of energy-system data, and a recalibration of security of supply to drive greater efficiencies and unlock demand reduction.

Download: Redesigning Regulation - Powering from the future [PDF]

This report builds on earlier work, summarised in the report, Reshaping Regulation - Powering from the Future

View all Grantham Briefing Papers and Notes