Utility Business Journal – SBGI Utility Networks

This year’s gas industry awards luncheon at the london hilton hotel, jointly organised by the Institution of gas engineers and managers and sbgi, was attended by over 680 senior Representatives and distinguished guests.

This annual event, which includes a three course Lunch, effective networking opportunity and topical industry keynote address, recognises Significant achievement in the gas industry and acknowledges accomplishment and innovation.

This year’s guest speaker was Steve Holliday, Chief Executive, National Grid. In his lunchtime address he called for joined up effort between utilities, government and regulators in order to achieve the UK’s low carbon targets and ensure energy security. “Are national targets realistic?….Can the UK plan to hit the targets by 2050… and still keep the gas flowing and the lights on?” he asked.

“Yes”, he thought; “but it is very, very challenging and requires joined up effort, the coordination of lots of different technology solutions, and an urgency that is finally starting to appear”.

Steve said he was not alone in the belief that it must start with electricity, then transport and heat.

“The new parliament”, he said, “has a great challenge ahead to sort out its policies and start delivering quickly whilst ensuring security of supply. It must get on with reviewing the ability of existing energy market mechanisms to deliver low carbon generation, start seriously addressing how consumers and businesses will improve energy efficiency, provide a way forward for a smarter, integrated distribution and transmission system and it needs to ensure that the planning regulations provide a framework which ensures that we are able to build the huge quantity of energy infrastructure required – quickly and in time for 2020.

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