How data and collective thinking are rebuilding an ageing energy network

The UK energy system has never had to decentralise, digitise and decarbonise all at once. What does it take to get there?

In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, Zoe Cunningham is joined by Abbie Badcock-Broe, an industry strategist with two decades of experience shaping the future of the UK energy system. Formerly head of corporate UK and decarbonisation strategy at National Grid, Abbie specialises in system-wide problem-solving across decarbonisation, system operation and long-range planning.

Together they explore the mind-boggling scale of the challenge, why the shift from a centralised, one-way system to a decentralised, data-enabled network changes everything, and where data and increasingly AI are already making a difference in forecasting, inspections and predictive maintenance.

Abbie explains how the regulator's shift from “flexibility first” to “build and flex” is changing how networks invest, how the industry is collaborating on innovation through programmes such as Ofgem's Strategic Innovation Fund, and why the sector's real challenge is getting ideas into business as usual.

You'll hear about:

• Why the energy transition is a challenge society has never solved before
• How the shift from centralised to decentralised networks makes data essential
• Where data and AI are already making a difference: forecasting, inspections and predictive maintenance
• Why legacy systems, data quality, data sharing and governance still hold things back
• Why critical national infrastructure raises the bar on cybersecurity and reliability
• How the regulator's “build and flex” approach is changing network investment