Agenda - Utility Week Forum 2026

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

Don't miss Greg Jackson, Chief Executive, Octopus Energy; Chris Walters, Interim Chief Executive, Ofwat; Cordi O'Hara, President, National Grid Electricity Distribution; Matt Parr, Chief Executive, Thames Tideway; Paul Hickey, Managing Director (RAPID), Ofwat; Suleman Alli, Director of Customer Service, Strategy and Regulation & Technology, UK Power Networks; 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

9:25 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?

Suresh Bhaskar, Managing Director - Renewables & Batteries, ENGIE UK

9:55 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
Ed Savage, Capital projects commercial and procurement expert, PA Consulting
Dr Siân Thomas, Director of Strategic Asset Management, Anglian Water
Senior representative, SSEN Transmission
Guy Jefferson, Managing Director Transmission, SP Energy Networks

10:35 AM

Life after Kraken: In conversation with Greg Jackson

The Octopus Energy CEO discusses the next chapter of growth for Octopus after the sale of the Kraken Technologies arm. He will also give his views on:

What reforms are needed to make energy retail sustainable
How we can tackle the growing consumer debt pile
The role of flexibility in lowering grid demand, system costs and bills

Greg Jackson, CEO and founder, Octopus Energy

11:00 AM

Refreshments, exhibition and networking

STREAM A: REGULATION IN TRANSITION: HOW WATER IS ADAPTING
11:30 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? Marcus Rink, Chief Inspector, DWI Chris West, Water Director, EA Chris Walters, Interim Chief Executive, Ofwat
12:00 PM																How can economic regulation in the water sector deliver societal outcomes efficiently? What are the main aims of regulatory reform? Is it efficient for water companies to deliver environmental objectives? Does the current framework allow for optimal investment solutions? What will the role of supervisory regulation and regional planning be in delivering societal outcomes? Emma Howard, Senior Consultant, NERA
12:20 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, Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS) David Henderson, Chief Executive, Water UK

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? Alban Tarlet, UKI Utilities Industry Lead, Accenture Monica Collings OBE, Chair, NESO EMAC Suleman Alli, Director of Customer Service, Strategy, Regulation & Technology, UK Power Networks Rob Salter-Church, Director of Regulation, National Grid Electricity Transmission
12:10 PM																From projects to impact: How energy innovation is evolving How is energy innovation moving towards a more coordinated, outcome-focused approach? What are the early lessons being learnt from the Innovation Delivery Groups? What are the next steps to deliver greater impact for customers once the Innovation Charters are completed? Jodie Giles, Deputy Director – Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund, Innovate UK
12:30 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 & Policy Director, EDF, EDF Alexandra Howe, Director of Policy & External Affairs, ENA

STREAM A: SECURING THE UK’S ENERGY FUTURE
1:55 PM																Grid Talk: Setting up the transmission networks for success Are networks set up to deliver at the scale needed with current RIIO-3 investment? What infrastructure is being put in place to ensure we are ‘delivery-ready’ ahead of RIIO-3? Where can gas and electricity network planning align more closely? Emily Clark, Chief Strategy and Regulation Officer, National Gas Rob Salter-Church, Director of Regulation, National Grid Electricity Transmission
2:15 PM																The intelligent utility asset lifecycle: From investment decisions to autonomous operations Where do you invest next using asset risk, criticality, and network performance data? Turning fragmented operational and engineering data into actionable investment intelligence How do you align long-term asset strategies with capital planning and portfolio prioritisation? Leveraging AI to improve forecasting, planning accuracy, resource optimisation, and risk management Carol Johnston, VP Energy Utilities Resources, IFS
2:35 PM																Planning and pricing the system: Can the SSEP and reformed national pricing deliver secure, affordable decarbonisation? Can the SSEP and reformed national pricing between them give generators and networks clear enough signals on where and when to build? How will environmental and societal interests be balanced against the need for new infrastructure, and how can pricing reform be made fair for everyone? What role should gas play in balancing the system and keeping it affordable and secure through the transition? What impact would a change in government have on strategic planning and market reform, and can the sector agree a shared reformed pricing manifesto to put to DESNZ? Tom Glover, UK Country Chair, RWE Johnny Gowdy, Director, Regen Alice Etheridge, Head of Strategic Spatial Energy Planning, NESO

STREAM B: REGAINING THE PUBLIC’S TRUST IN WATER… CAN IT BE DONE?
1:55 PM																What does the future of water look like? How will water sector regulation work going forward? What support is the UK government giving to new regulatory planning? What reassurance is being offered to water companies? Emma Hardy MP, Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
2:10 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? Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive, The Rivers Trust Alun Shurmer, Chief Strategy & Stakeholder Engagement Officer, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water Adam Ashman, Head of Partnerships & Sustainability, Yorkshire Water
2:55 PM																Using operational technology to demonstrate transparency and rebuild customer trust Empowering customers to quickly report issues and accelerate incident response times The role of AI in repairing customer relationships How can greater visibility for customers on project progression become a benefit to water companies? Senior representative, Vyntelligence

THE REGULATION STATE OF THE NATION
3:45 PM																Getting the regulatory model right for the future What are the key challenges regulators will face in the coming years? How should regulatory duties guide decision-making and the management of trade-offs across the value chain? How can regulators support investment in infrastructure and innovation, while retaining public and political confidence? What form could "public control" take and is it consistent with the regulatory model? Christopher Pickard, Associate Director, Economic Insight
4:05 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? Rosamund Blomfield-Smith, Chair, Utility Regulator NI Akshay Kaul, Director General for Infrastructure, Ofgem David Satti, Chief Executive Officer, Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS)
4:35 PM																Has UK utility privatisation worked, and would nationalisation be any different? Where have we seen the successes of a privatised utility sector? Is political and media scrutiny mistargeted? Would public opinion be different if utilities were state-owned right now? Emma Revell, External Affairs Director, CPS Ewan McGaughey, Professor of Law, King's College London
5:00 PM																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?

Paul Sexton, Managing Director, Scottish Water
Sherief Elabd, Senior Global Advisor of Strategic Projects, Oracle

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
Huda As'ad, Senior Capital Projects Consulting Executive, Accenture

STREAM A: 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 James Whiteford, Head of Strategic Demand, NESO Dave Watkins, Technical Solutions Director, VIRTUS Data Centres
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 Ben Godfrey, DSO Director, National Grid Electricity Distribution Sarah Honan, Head, ADE: Demand Kieron Stopforth, Director of Flexibility, Octopus Energy

STREAM B: DELIVERING MULTI-GENERATIONAL WATER SUPPLY AND INFRASTRUCTURE
11:00 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 Singh Birdi, Creative Director, Birdi and Partners Paul Hickey, Managing Director (RAPID), Ofwat
11:40 AM																Building an intelligent, connected, resilient water network The importance of embedding IoT connectivity into the core of water networks How can an effective communication strategy lead to greater resilience and a more secure water supply? How have European water companies adopted IoT technology to improve their operational processes? Simon Boyd, IoT Expert, Deutsche Telekom
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 Helen Campbell, Interim Executive Director, Delivery, Ofwat Ben Ward, Asset Planning Director, Pennon Group

STREAM A: 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 greater flexibility within frameworks 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? Nick Mills, Director of Environment & Innovation, Southern Water Karen Dee, Head of Strategy and Planning Wastewater, 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, Sustainable Solutions Director, Wessex Water Cllr Linden Kemkaran, Leader, Kent County Council

STREAM B: 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 Mark Atherton, Director of Environment, Greater Manchester Combined Authority Kathryn McKee, Head of External Engagement, SSEN Transmission
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? Kisha Couchman, Deputy Director, Energy UK Heather Sheffield, Head of Strategic Planning, Northern Gas Networks Philip Glanville, Director of Advocacy and Engagement, UK100

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?
How can utilities navigate an increasingly complex political landscape?

Sir Vince Cable, Former Secretary of State for Business, Professor at LSE and University of Nottingham

4:00 PM

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

James Wallin, Editor-in-Chief, Utility Week

2026 AGENDA