Agenda

Forum is Utility Week's most strategic conference, curated by the journalists who understand the complexities and challenges facing the utilities sector.

The agenda features speakers including Basil Scarsella, Chief Executive, UK Power Networks; Matt Parr, Chief Executive, Thames Tideway; Nicola Connelly, Chief Executive, SP Energy Networks; Paul Hickey, Managing Director (RAPID), Ofwat; Cordi O'Hara, President, National Grid Electricity Distribution; Kisha Couchman, Deputy Director, Energy UK; Mark Lloyd,  Chief Executive, The Rivers Trust; Oliver Harmar, Chief Strategy Officer, Natural England, and many others.

Pull up a chair alongside utility CEOs, policymakers and regulators for open discussion on political change, investment, regulation, affordability, delivery and more.

DAY 1

Wednesday 25 November 2026
DAY 2

Thursday 26 November 2026

9:30 AM

The Great Debate: Are utilities still seen as a strong investment case in the current landscape?

With geopolitical tensions high, what impact is this having on investment in the utility sector?

What are investors looking for to make the sector attractive?

What can regulators and government do to continue to assure investors?

What can utilities do to guarantee investors’ returns?

Martin Bradley, Head of EMEA Infrastructure , Macquarie Asset Management
Suresh Bhaskar, Managing Director – Renewables & Batteries , ENGIE

10:10 AM

Can energy and water be engines of growth?

Are the energy and water sectors genuinely positioned as enablers of economic growth and ready to take the lead with UK government?
How do businesses build the investment case for capital delivery programmes, and where can they contribute on a wider economic scale?
How exposed are utilities to the risk of under-investment when demand in supply is accelerating, particularly from data centres?

Where are the opportunities to move beyond regulatory obligations and shape the infrastructure decisions that will define the UK's economic trajectory for the next decade?

How can utilities move past the deliverability divide to fulfil investment commitments?

Jon Chappell, Deputy Director - Water and PR24 Delivery , Water UK
Nicola Connelly, CEO , SP Energy Networks
Ed Savage, Procurement and Commercial Expert , PA Consulting
Sian Thomas, Director of Strategic Asset Planning , Anglian Water Services

10:40 AM

What are the biggest risks to utilities in 2027?

In this interactive opener, Utility Week presents the findings of its annual Risk Report, before inviting members of the audience to the stage to dissect the Top 10 Risks as we find out what is keeping utility company boardroom leaders up at night.

STREAM A: REGULATION IN TRANSITION: HOW WATER IS ADAPTING
11:30 AM																What does the future of water look like? How will water sector regulation work going forwards? What support is the UK government giving to new regulatory planning? What reassurance is being offered to water companies?
11:50 AM																Regulators’ Corner: Progress on the new regulator, and our commitment to you How are Ofwat, the Environment Agency and DWI working together to distinguish roles and responsibilities? What is happening in the meantime to support water companies, customers and industry as a whole? What are regulators doing to ensure business as usual? Paul Hickey, Managing Director (RAPID) , Ofwat Marcus Rink, Chief Inspector , DWI Helen Wakeham, Water Director , Environment Agency
12:15 PM																Regulation Unpicked: Where will the funding come from? Do people realise how much their requests will cost? How will the new water regulator win over public support despite continuous bill rises for the foreseeable future? Will a new water regulator mean more let-up on public backlash against water companies? Sarah Heald, Chief Strategy & Regulatory Affairs Officer , Pennon Group Mike Keil, CEO , CCW David Satti, Chief Executive Officer , WICS

STREAM B: INVESTMENT IN ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE VS THE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS
11:30 AM																The Hot Seat: Justifying the cost of RIIO-3 investment to customers What is the actual cost of RIIO-3, and how do you allocate and justify these figures? How do we balance investment with affordability? How can we get communication right and avoid falling out of public favour? Tony Ballance, Chief Strategy & Regulation Officer , Cadent Basil Scarsella, Chief Executive Officer , UK Power Networks
12:15 PM																From trilemma to dilemma: Re-aligning the energy sector’s key focus areas Assessing the interconnection of each element of the energy trilemma Are we seeing the end of net zero as the number one driver for businesses? What does this mean for short-term clean power ambitions? How can networks, local authorities and energy retailers work together to best support public interests? Kate Ashworth, Head of Energy Infrastructure , Energy Capital, West Midlands Combined Authority Josh Buckland, Strategy and Policy Director , EDF Alexandra Howe, Director of Policy and External Affairs , ENA

STREAM A: SECURING THE UK’S ENERGY FUTURE
1:45 PM																Grid Talk: Protecting the transmission network from geopolitical risk How have the geopolitical events of 2026 impacted the transmission networks? Can gas and electricity transmission work together? Emily Clark, Chief Strategy and Regulation Officer , National Gas
2:05 PM																Evaluating the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP): The blueprint for effective decarbonisation? Does the SSEP provide effective guidance to generators and networks for project planning? How will environmental and societal interests be balanced against the need for new infrastructure? What impact would a change in government have on strategic planning?
2:30 PM																Getting the price right: Can national pricing reform deliver energy security and affordability? How can we reform energy market pricing in a way that is fair for everyone? How can gas balance the energy markets and play a part in delivering an affordable, secure energy system? Can the energy sector agree on a reformed pricing model manifesto to put to DESNZ? Tom Glover, UK Country Chair , RWE
3:05 PM																Live Vote: What pricing model works best? In this interactive session, delegates vote on their preferred approach posed by panellists and explain their reasoning.

STREAM B: REGAINING THE PUBLIC’S TRUST IN WATER… CAN IT BE DONE?
1:45 PM																Building Bridges: How do we bring communities with us as we deliver on investment? Are communities’ sentiments to water companies justified?  What opportunities are there in project planning to restore communities’ trust, and how do we maximise them?  How do you make investment plans specific enough for customers to see what they're getting for their money, but also broad enough to cover multiple scenarios?  Can minimal disruption and visible benefits be the first stepping stone to turning the tide? Martyn Hattersley, Director of Corporate Affairs and Partnerships , Yorkshire Water Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive , The Rivers Trust Alun Shurmer, Director of Customer Strategy and Engagement , Dwr Cymru Welsh Water
2:25 PM																How can we demonstrate transparency with customer data and rebuild trust?
2:45 PM																From the Source: Re-framing the narrative around water In this interactive session, delegates split into groups and brainstorm how they can effectively regain control of the narrative around water companies and make it more positive to turn public trust and support back around – can it be done? They will then reconvene and feedback their ideas to the room.

THE REGULATION STATE OF THE NATION
3:40 PM																Chair: James Wallin, Editor-in-Chief, Utility Week  James Wallin, Editor-in-Chief , Utility Week
3:45 PM																Live Poll: What is the biggest challenge facing UK utilities regulation?
3:50 PM																The regulation state of the nation: overview from Economic Insight Christopher Pickard, Associate Director , Economic Insight
4:10 PM																Question Time: Is supervisory regulation the future? How can regulation keep up with the pace of delivery? How is the role of the regulator evolving as we move forward? What are regulators doing to balance immediate consumer and investor interests and long-term outcomes? Is it time to move away from a ‘one size fits all’ model across all regulators? Jemma Baker, Deputy Director – Future Retail Markets , Ofgem Rosamund Blumfield-Smith, Chair , Utility Regulator
4:45 PM																Connect with industry colleagues at the networking drinks reception

9:05 AM

Keynote: Taking a multi-sector approach to major project planning and delivery

Gearing up for a decade of major infrastructure delivery – how do you get it right?

Moving out of silos and working with other sectors to manage shared resources

Tips to deliver projects to time and budget

9:25 AM

Getting priorities right and accelerating delivery

How can utilities optimise their capital programme planning and coordination across stakeholders?
How do we build the visibility across our supply chains that would allow us to anticipate disruption rather than just react to it?
Where are the opportunities for streamlining workflows and driving efficiency?
What can we learn from other sectors?

Cordi O'Hara, President , National Grid Electricity Distribution

10:00 AM

The Hot Seat: How do we effectively build major projects at scale?

What can energy and water learn from other major infrastructure projects that have been, and are still being delivered?
How can we prepare the supply chain and provide a concrete pipeline to guarantee delivery?
Where are the skill sets we can tap into to ensure the utility sector gets capital delivery right?
What are the key factors behind getting major projects done?

Ben Goodwin, Director of Policy and Public Affairs , CECA
Matt Parr, CEO , Thames Tideway

STREAM A: DELIVERING MULTI-GENERATIONAL WATER SUPPLY AND INFRASTRUCTURE
11:00 AM																What can the UK water sector learn from its international peers? International infrastructure delivery case study
11:20 AM																How do we secure the water needed for new homes? Do we reinvent the wheel and bypass the challenge of building new reservoirs? Is the water already there, and we are just using it wrong? Where do responsibilities lie, and how do we get the funding? How can we ensure long-term security of supply for all new homes being built? Harbinder Birdi, Creative Director , Birdi and Partners Chris Taylor-Dawson, Senior Director, Major Projects , Ofwat
12:00 PM																Planning Ahead: Prioritising the AMP9 project pipeline Addressing AMP8 challenges Is it premature to start planning how we tackle missed AMP8 deadlines? What will be the water sector’s biggest infrastructure challenges in the next decade? Making the business case for more record investment Carolyn Cadman, Chief Sustainability and Natural Resources Officer , Pennon Group Helen Campbell, Interim Executive Director, Delivery , Ofwat

STREAM B: BUILDING A FLEXIBLE, INTELLIGENT, FUTURE-PROOF ENERGY SYSTEM
11:00 AM																Making the Connection: Reforming the demand queue to unlock economic opportunities for the UK Where are we with grid connections reform and system planning? Navigating the challenge of system access to deliver connections How do we prioritise the demand queue for maximum economic and societal benefit? Can energy networks benefit financially from non-firm power demand? Should data centres receive preferential access in the connections queue given their economic and AI significance? Paul Glendinning, Director of Energy Systems , Northern Powergrid Dr. James Whiteford MEng, PhD, Head of Strategic Demand , National Energy System Operator (NESO)
11:40 AM																Delivering an intelligent energy system Presentation around digitalisation and flexibility
12:00 PM																Satisfying demand through flexibility How can flexibility and data work together to maximise benefits to customers and build an effective data sharing infrastructure? How can DNOs strike a balance with flex providers? Evaluating the changing nature of the consumer proposition as they become more active in the energy system Leveraging a flexible energy system to unlock grid capacity Alex Schoch, Global Director of Flexibility & Electrification , Octopus Energy

STREAM A: FINDING THE KEY TO CONSENT AND ACCELERATING ENERGY PROJECTS
1:25 PM																Winning over communities and pressing ahead with delivery How do we meet the needs of communities without falling short of project objectives? Can we re-align delivery priorities to avoid confrontation? What do local planning authorities need from networks to accelerate decisions? Can we actually deliver what we’re planning? Oliver Harmar, Chief Officer, Strategy , Natural England
2:05 PM																The Hot Seat: Dissecting Clean Power 2030 and where we go from here Is the pressure off, and can we now focus on delivering a truly just transition to ease local delivery pressures? Can we build a smarter pipeline of delivery to share with stakeholders and avoid project delays? How will this affect the supply chain, and how will they react? Nick Winser, President , ADE Kisha Couchman, Deputy Director , Energy UK

STREAM B: TACKLING WATER POLLUTION… THE RIGHT WAY
1:25 PM																From the Source: Protecting the environment while maintaining affordability What role are water companies currently playing in protecting the environment? Can constrained discretion hold the key to unlocking the most effective and affordable environmental solutions? How much do we focus on our own part of the system vs the health of the wider system? Simon Parsons, Director of Strategic Customer Service Planning , Scottish Water
1:55 PM																Addressing water quality and water quantity: Where does the buck lie? Analysing the three biggest impactors to water quality, and who should be responsible for managing these How can effective rainwater management solve the quantity conundrum? What are the challenges of making our water and wastewater systems more climate resilient? Does it all come back to source control, and how do we address this? Harry Bowell, Director of Land and Nature , National Trust Matt Wheeldon, Director of Infrastructure Development , Wessex Water Cllr Linden Kemkaran, Leader , Kent County Council

3:10 PM

What does the sector commit to next?

In this interactive session, Utility Week polls the audience on their top takeaways from across the two days and the actions they want from government and regulators. Members of the audience will be invited to the stage to share their views which will be used to produce a strategic summary presented to industry leaders and policymakers.

3:30 PM

Closing keynote interview: What does the next decade hold for utilities?

What do utilities need to do to regain public and political support and achieve their targets?

Will successful major project delivery prove privatisation works?

4:00 PM

Chair’s closing remarks and end of the Utility Week Forum 2026

James Wallin, Editor-in-Chief , Utility Week

2026 AGENDA