Powering Net Zero

The Energy Institute’s new conference, Powering Net Zero, is designed to discuss ways in which clean electricity and electrification will be essential in reducing emissions globally to net zero.

EL LIVE Free Webinar | Powering net zero
8 October 2020 - 09:00 - 10:40 BST

Ahead of the 2021 conference, a free webinar will be held to discuss the latest strategies needed to reach net zero.

Programme

09:00 Welcome from the chair and President of Energy Institute
Steve Holliday FREng FEI, President, Energy Institute and Former Chief Executive, National Grid

09:10 How will Next Generation EU help the UK deliver its 2050 net zero target? What will the impact of COVID-19 be?

09:25 Driving transformation to a greener grid
Fintan Slye FEI, Director, UK System Operator, National Grid ESO

09:35 Utility of the Future – renewables, net zero, and the green recovery
Lindsay McQuade, CEO, Scottish Power Renewables

09:45 Examples in demand-side initiatives that support the journey to net zero
Michael Lewis FEI, Chief Executive, E.ON UK

09:55 Glasgow's net zero roadmap to decarbonise the city
Gavin Slater, Head of Sustainability, Neighbourhoods & Sustainability, Glasgow City Council

10:05 Panel discussion and Q&A

10:30 Closing remarks and summary from the chair
Steve Holliday FREng FEI, President, Energy Institute and Former Chief Executive, National Grid

Powering Net Zero 2021 Conference:

An increasing number of countries are making commitments to move to a net zero emissions economy. This is in response to climate science showing that in order to prevent the worst impacts of manmade climate change, greenhouse gas emissions must be eliminated, as simply reducing them is no longer sufficient. ‘Net zero’ means that any emissions are balanced by absorbing an equivalent amount from the atmosphere. In order to meet the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting average global temperature increases to well below 2C, global greenhouse gas emissions must reach net zero sometime between 2050 and 2070.

Electricity and electrification are central to any scenario in which this goal is achieved. The technologies already exist to decarbonise power generation systems and roll out clean electricity into heat and transport – now companies must finalise their strategies to ensure it is reached.

Attend this timely event to:

Hear from expert speakers excelling in this area
Gain key insights into the policies, technologies and people needed to reach net zero
Network with professionals from across the energy sector

2021 - date to be announced

tbc

Energy Institute

EI Knowledge Partner

Supporting Organisations

Conference summary

The conference will take a global perspective on the range of technologies and the interplay between them. This includes renewable and nuclear power generation, CCUS, electric or fuel cell electric (hydrogen) vehicles, and for heating, the use of heat-pumps, hydrogen, energy efficiency and demand management technologies. Many medium pressure industrial processes can also be converted to use electric furnaces rather than gas.

Programme

Welcome from the chair

Welcome from the Energy Institute

A scene setter from the Committee on Climate Change and moderated discussion

Leadership Panel Discussion/Interview
Challenges, scale of the problem and potential solutions
Decarbonisation of the electricity
Electricity of heating, transport, and power
How is electricity stepping up?
Upgrade the network
Hydrogen and biogas

The customer perspective

Insights into new business models – how does demand need to change
Residential consumers and changing consumer behaviours
Industrial, Commercial/Retail and Data Centres
Cities and Local area energy systems – local authorities
Buildings
Transport
Heating and cooling

Generation, interconnections, and storage

How do you make choice, demand changes, how do we meet the challenges?
Overcoming the challenges – impacts to overcoming – technical toolkit – how do you do it in affordable manner?
Constraints – what can be the maximum you can be – capacity you can build – role of producing it
Debate: what makes more sense, what the future mix would be like, interplay between them, unlocking business models

Networks - Distribution, Transmission

How does the distribution network change with DER?
How to integrate high % intermittent renewables?
T&D interface - ESO-DSO interaction
The impact of digitalisation
How it all works together
How does the grid and the system need to change and what progress has been made to date?
Investment and infrastructure
Flexible generation and storage

Regulation, policy, and initiatives

What does government need to do to support zero carbon?
How does the regulatory framework need to evolve?
Examples of initiatives and policies and changes needed?
The role for CCUS and nuclear
Role of hydrogen
Digitalisation
Sector coupling – electricity / heat / transport etc.
Demonstration at scale
Role of nuclear

How can we achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions?

Summary from the chair and closing remarks

End of conference

Topics explored include:

What does a net zero system look like?

Insights into short, medium and long-term future trends

What fundamental changes are needed to transform the electricity system?

The consumer perspective: what new business models, services, products, incentives or regulation would support the changes required in customer behaviour/demand?

What is the broader role of technology to drive the transformation?

What is the pathway and future requirements to increasing onshore and offshore wind and solar on the system?

What role will hydrogen, nuclear, and carbon capture storage (CCS) play?

What changes are needed in the network – transmission and distribution?

What infrastructure and investment is required?

What regulation, policies and initiatives must follow?

Who should attend

Companies in the RE100

Offshore wind companies

Oil & gas companies

Trading companies

Powering Net Zero