The last two days have been full to the brim with challenges and opportunities for the electricity distribution sector. The Future Networks Forum has hosted its fourth two-day Innovation Forum. Around 90 people joined either in person or online.
On day one we heard from large commercial customers and external stakeholders about their innovative projects and how they relate to distribution networks. We’re so grateful that they shared their priorities and challenges with us. It’s opening doors for us to better understand each other and how we can work together to benefit both EDBs and our customers.
Day two focussed on a deep-dive into the FNF projects, reflecting on what our stakeholders are telling us, and making progress towards confirming priorities for the FNF projects. The projects include improving the customer journey for large connections, getting EDBs aligned on the capability, roles and functions to enable distributed flexibility, and understanding our customers and their needs better.
Coming together and aligning our work will make tangible benefits. For customers. For EDBs. And for the wider decarbonisation goals the sector holds. This is a win, win, win.
For the projects to keep progressing — and for them to be as valuable as possible — we need everyone to feed in. We’re grateful to have so many people across EDBs involved. And it’s invaluable to have true two-way engagement with our customers and other external stakeholders on their priorities.
And to our external customers and stakeholders who came to share their insights – we hugely appreciate your time! 🙏 Andrew Tait, Hannah Chorley, Glenn Sullivan, Jeff Silverwood, Jevon Carding, Kayne Baas, Alida Jansen van Vuuren, Gareth Gretton, Jeremy Gulson, Daniel Lawrence and Margaret Cooney 🙏
To all the EDBs that took time out to attend, present, and kōrero about this work – ngā mihi nui. We look forward to continuing the conversations on the specific project progress over the next few months. Too many of you to name but a special thanks to everyone who presented over the last two days: Sam Elder, Siân Hughes, Bernie Coster, Renate ter Beek, Keith Hutchinson, Richard Le Gros Astad Kapadia, CPEng, MBA, Daniel Gnoth, Lingsong Zheng, Craig C., Matt Smith (and to James Tipping who managed to take part online while rest was calling! 😷). A special shout-out to Sophie Tulley for bringing everyone together so seamlessly and making this all happen.
