The Forum works closely with Government officials and Ofgem on regulatory and policy areas spanning incentives, planning, building regulations and taxation. It also develops technical and training standards, where it can rely on the support of other REA forums working on issues such as decentralised energy and grid connection.

A crucial document for this sector, which included the majority of REA asks at the time, is the joint BEIS & Ofgem Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan, which is a road map for policy reform which will develop the sector.

Key work areas for the group include:

• Development of flexibility markets
• Capacity Market reform
• Implementation of the Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan, including introduction of a definition of energy storage in primary legislation
• Building regulations & SAP/EPC reform
• Grid charging and connections, including responding to Ofgem’s Targeted Charging & Access and Forward Looking Charges Reviews
• Planning, including queuing processes
• Health & safety
• Best practice
• Co-location with generation assets

Governance of the Energy Storage Forum

• CHAIR: Vijay Shinde, Chief Technical Officer at Harmony Energy

Steering Group members include:

• Alistair Steele, Senior Consultant – Energy Storage at DNV GL
• Louise Dalton, Senior Associate at CMS
• Richard Malloy, Manager – UK Energy Storage at Eaton
• Fernando Morales, Lead Analyst at Highview Power
• Michelle Davies, Partner and International Head of Clean Energy and Sustainability at Eversheds Sutherland LLP
• Marcelo Torres, Regulatory Manager – Markets at Drax

For further information, contact Frank Gordon at the REA.