Work continues apace on a fast moving agenda for NGN.
The CEG met on 5 June for our formal meeting at InTEGRel (the integrated energy facility based in Gateshead). This was our second visit to the site and as part of the session, we were able to visit (from a distance due to ongoing building work access) the Customer Energy Village, which is a purpose-built test site of nine properties which will allow the testing of retrofittable solutions to each property to help in the understanding of how net zero might better be achieved. The CEG has been invited to play a formal role in the development of the site, including governance and strategic partnerships, and we are currently considering how best we can engage.
CEO Mark Horsley joined us online, as did NGN Board member Paul Rogerson (who is a regular observer at our sessions). Mark gave a business update, focused around regulation, company performance, energy futures, finance and recruitment.
An important aspect of our work is monitoring how NGN is delivering on its promises, and as part of this we were given an overview on the Company’s RRP tables and annual process of reporting on performance to Ofgem, followed by an output performance update.
We are of course very interested in what’s happening in respect of the Hydrogen Village and Town proposals, and received an update on the current position and also on East Coast Hydrogen. A decision on the Hydrogen pilot is due soon.
Finally, we had our own private session where we discussed a number of issues, including signing off our annual report, which will be published shortly.
Outside of the formal meeting, members have been participating in discussions, and attending and observing other important sessions, including the NGN ‘Supporting Communities Together’ event held in Newcastle on 25 May.
The CEG Chair, Jenny Saunders, also reported that she had been attending a number of Ofgem workshops on future regulation frameworks for network companies.
Finally, at the end of June, 3 CEG members will be leaving the Group – Simon Pringle, Melanie Laws and David Wright – when their term of office comes to an end. An opportunity will be taken to look to fill a skills gap around DEI and data/digitalisation but the Group and the Company are also awaiting further clarity from Ofgem on company requirements and any mandated duties for the Group.