Morning, Monday, 25th January 2027
Online
This conference will examine next steps for delivering energy system flexibility in Great Britain. Areas for discussion include consumer-led flexibility, storage and dispatchable capacity, market and settlement reform, strategic siting, grid connections and network coordination, data, interoperability, and consumer protection.
It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to discuss implementation of the Clean Flexibility Roadmap, including priorities and commitments in the July 2026 update, considering practical steps needed to increase flexibility across the electricity system as Clean Power 2030 delivery is taken forward. Delegates will consider the governance and delivery framework for the Roadmap, the respective roles of DESNZ, Ofgem, NESO, the Flexibility Commissioner and industry, and how progress should be assessed across consumer-led flexibility, short and long-duration storage, interconnection, low-carbon dispatchable power and wider enabling infrastructure.
Planned sessions will examine how market and consumer arrangements are developing as Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement, smart meter delivery, tariff interoperability and the Smart Secure Electricity Systems programme are advanced. Discussion is expected on approaches to widening participation by households, small businesses and industrial and commercial users, including consumer awareness and trust, upfront costs, passive flexibility, data access, consent and the interoperability needed for flexible assets to operate effectively across local and national markets.
Delegates will also assess the relationship between Reformed National Pricing, Capacity Market reform, strategic energy planning and investment in flexibility, while maintaining security of supply and controlling system costs. Attendees will consider issues raised by locational and temporal signals, looking at ways forward for balancing and settlement reform, constraint management and network charging. This also includes the anticipated final determinations and next steps from the first LDES cap and floor application window, addressing questions around project delivery, revenue stacking, consumer value, resilience and the future balance between storage, interconnectors, demand-side response and flexible low-carbon generation.
Overall areas for discussion include:
- implementation of the Clean Flexibility Roadmap:
- governance and delivery responsibilities - coordination between DESNZ, Ofgem, NESO, the Flexibility Commissioner and industry
- approaches to assessing progress, including updated delivery measures - system oversight and market access
- consumer-led flexibility and participation:
- smart meter uptake - domestic demand-side response - smart tariffs
- proposals to widen access to flexible tariffs - low-carbon technology support schemes - aggregation - export and demand turn-up incentives
- local flexibility markets - approaches for households, small businesses and industrial and commercial users
- consumer protection, fairness and engagement:
- consumer awareness and trust in smart options - vulnerable households - consent, data access and metering requirements - clear terminology and access to advice
- bill affordability - tariff fairness - time-of-use arrangements - upfront costs - split incentives - passive flexibility
- market reform, pricing and settlement:
- Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement - further development of settlement arrangements - locational and temporal pricing signals
- Reformed National Pricing - constraint management - network charging - balancing and dispatch - effects for demand management, investment and system operation
- system-wide flexibility, security of supply and investment:
- short and long-duration storage - interconnectors - demand-side response - flexible generation - low-carbon dispatchable power - hydrogen-to-power business model implementation
- Capacity Market reform - technology neutrality - delivery assurance - interconnector de-rating - treatment of battery storage and DSR - emissions limits - cost to consumers
- LDES cap and floor, strategic planning and network coordination:
- anticipated final determinations and next steps from the first application window
- eligibility and technology definition - cap and floor calibration - revenue stacking - Capacity Market participation - operational obligations and consumer exposure
- the role of the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan, Centralised Strategic Network Plan and Regional Energy Strategic Plans in guiding generation, storage and network development
- grid connections reform - timely access for viable flexible-demand and storage projects - smart asset integration and visibility across transmission and distribution networks
