Alice Grundy speaks to Jim Scott, co-founder and chief product officer of Grid Edge, about the place commercial demand side response has in the energy system, how data can facilitate it and how the networks can support it further.

Much of the reaction to last Friday’s blackout has centred around possible, but now dismissed, links to the high penetration of renewables on the UK’s grid. Liam Stoker analyses the train of thought that decentralisation could actually be the most compelling solution to grid security.

Centrica’s interim performance was enough for the company to call time on Iain Conn’s tenure as chief executive. As the company begins the hunt for a successor, Liam Stoker questions where Centrica might find them and if the energy giant’s performance holds up any better against the wider issues affecting energy companies today.

Alice Grundy speaks to Stephane Lee-Favier, CEO of GenGame, about using gamification to incentivise demand side response and how to retain consumer engagement.

Bozhidar Bozhkov, head of Markets for Asset Optimisation at SmartestEnergy, looks at how battery storage has evolved in the past two years and what the market is like now.

Jackson Cutsor, analyst for power distribution systems in the Business & Technology Solutions Group at Burns & McDonnell, looks into the challenges of electrification of vehicles in houses in multiple occupation.

Current± talks to Tom Pakenham, director of electric vehicles at energy tech firm Kaluza, about the obstacles to energy flexibility, the need for DNOs to progress in their thinking around EVs and whether or not the industry itself is innovating fast enough.

Stephen Cirell and Geraint Lewis examine the need for an overhaul of motoring taxation as EV uptake skyrockets, and some of the potential solutions the government may well consider.

Mark Hollands, energy strategy director at BSR Energy, takes a look at Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin certificates and outlines how a fresh approach is needed to achieve a 2050 net zero target and stimulate the growth of large-scale renewables.