Leading figures from government, business and the energy sector presented their views on the energy challenges facing the UK over the decade ahead and the policy changes currently under consultation. Other speakers addressed different issues affecting the future of energy.

You can now download the slides (for those presenters that used them) from the presentations made on the day.

1. The fourth carbon budget: Reducing emissions through the 2020s
David Kennedy, The Committee on Climate Change

2. Tomorrow’s world
Richard Watson, futurologist, author and scenario planner

3. Complexity rising? The next decade
Micheal Tully, Future Foundation

4. Market watch
Cathy McClay, EDF Energy

Welcome to our first EDF Energy Talk Power blog. Before we get underway and open up to the floor, I thought it would be appropriate to outline why we have decided to start a blog.

Why blog now?

Sid Cox. EDF Energy, ESCS, Director B2B

Our collective relationship with energy is changing. The simple reason for this is as suppliers, businesses and consumers we are increasingly aware of the challenges involved in reconciling the need for security of supply, lower carbon consumption and the need to keep it all affordable. This growing knowledge and awareness is having an acute impact on how we view and ultimately how we will consume energy.

The impact on business

For our business customers, energy has now become an issue that requires active management, rather than passive awareness. From a Corporate Social Responsibility perspective, businesses have to invest in ways to ensure that the quantity of energy required to serve their needs is optimised. This is achieved by investing in smart teams, good technology and by ensuring that partnerships are forged with energy partners that can adapt to the needs of the client.

Not surprisingly, energy remains high on the political agenda and this, through growing legislation and market reform, poses its own challenges for business. Meeting the combined requirements of energy security, affordability and climate change goals is a tall order and one that will require all parties involved –  suppliers, buyers and politicians – to work together.

Looking ahead

This rapidly changing environment is something we’ve been shedding light on for years through our Talk Power conferences. With the rate of change increasing at an unprecedented rate, we hope that our Talk Power website and blog will further enable those most acutely affected by energy to collaborate and share their thoughts on how to rise to the challenge.  We hope that this platform will become a source of information, insight and opinion that will be valuable to our clients and the industry at large.

We look forward to hearing from you,

Sid Cox

If your organisation spends a £1million or more on energy and you’re involved in managing its energy management and costs, you really should register for a place at Talk Power 2011.

Why attend an energy conference?

Because energy, for a host of cost and sustainability reasons, is an issue of growing importance for businesses. And the UK energy market is changing significantly in order to unlock the massive investment – estimated around £200bn – required to build an energy infrastructure that will securely deliver affordable low carbon energy we all need.

At Talk Power you’ll exclusively hear a range of views from the people who have the inside track. You’ll hear first hand from those leading the changes being made to the UK’s energy policies – which will directly affect you – and gain a valuable insight into the impact on UK businesses in the decade ahead.

Looking back at 2010…

Last year, Talk Power delegates were given a thought-provoking explanation by Ofgem’s Chief Executive, Alastair Buchannan as to the reasons why the current energy market has to change. He illustrated how the UK is facing an unprecedented combination of challenges which mean ensuring the continued resilience of our energy supply security and affordability of energy prices – never mind the UK’s carbon reduction ambitions – require far-reaching reforms to be rapidly implemented. The current market arrangements will not meet these challenges. You can watch the video here.

…Looking ahead to 2011

In December 2010, the Department of Energy and Climate (DECC) and HM Treasury launched their joint consultation on Electricity Market Reform – in perfect timing for Talk Power 2011. The job of addressing the shortcomings of the current market arrangements is now underway.

Over a year and a half before this announcement, it was the attendees at Talk Power 2010 who received the insiders’ view into why this review is necessary and began to explore what must be done.

We think it’s extremely exciting that top level representatives (2011 confirmed speakers can be found here) from the government and policy influencers involved in guiding the reforms are present. Confirmed Talk Power 2011 speakers include Charles Hendry, Minister of State at the DECC who is leading the most comprehensive government reform of the energy market in a generation, and David Kennedy, Chief Executive at the Committee on Climate Change, to share their insights into how things need to change and why.

Over 300 people with senior roles in finance, sustainability, operations and, of course, energy management have already registered. There’s space for you too, so don’t miss out.