Panel of Technical Experts
The Panel of Technical Experts (PTE) is an advisory group of independent consultants who were appointed by government to perform a specific and technical function as part of the first Electricity Market Reform delivery plan process.
Role of the panel
The Panel of Technical Experts (PTE) is an independent advisory group, members of which are appointed by government to advise on technical aspects of Electricity Market Reform. The role of the panel is a technical function and not a forum for policy commentary or for advising the government on its objectives for the capacity market or wider policy issues. They have a particular focus on providing scrutiny of the analysis in National Grid’s annual Electricity Capacity Report (ECR), which provides a recommendation on the target capacity for capacity market auctions. A report with their findings is published annually following the publication of the ECR and the Secretary of State’s decision on the target capacity.
The Panel’s Terms of Reference
The terms of the reference for the PTE make clear that Panel members are independent and do not act as representatives of any current or previous employers, trade associations or membership organisations.
The work of the Panel is confidential. The Panel must not discuss or disseminate information which is provided in confidence, or discuss its role, with parties other than those stated in the Terms of Reference. Following publication of the Panel’s reports, the Panel may discuss the content publicly, but must not disclose any information beyond that which is published.
In the contractual terms and conditions, Panel members and the Chair are obliged to inform the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero of their interests and any potential or real conflicts of interest up front and any changes to them, as they occur. Registers of interests for each of this year’s PTE members are available here.
Members of the panel and biographies
To carry out this technical function, members bring with them diverse experiences of the electricity markets in Great Britain and Ireland, as well as knowledge of a wide range of generation technologies. In their roles with the PTE they provide independent advice to government, and do not represent their organisations.
The following have agreed to sit on the panel:
- Professor Derek Bunn (Chair)
- Dr Chris Harris
- Professor Jacopo Torriti
- Lisa Waters
Professor Derek Bunn (Chair)
Derek W. Bunn is Professor of Decision Sciences at London Business School, where he has led an energy research programme since 1986. Author of over 250 research papers and 10 books in the areas of forecasting, econometrics, decision analysis and energy economics, he has been Editor of the Journal of Forecasting since 1984, a previous Editor of Energy Economics, and Founding Editor of the Journal of Energy Markets. He has advised numerous international companies and government agencies in the energy sector as well as providing expert evidence in arbitration and litigation. He is currently a panel member of the Balancing and Settlement Code.
Dr Chris Harris
Chris Harris is a visiting industrial fellow in Sustainable Power Distribution at Bath University. He has held visiting positions in decision science, energy policy, and engineering and informatics. He is active in academic consortia such as the Supergen Energy Networks Hub. He has PhDs in regulatory economics and fracture mechanics. He chaired the British Institute of Energy Economics research conference “Energy for a Net Zero Society”. He has published four textbooks on electricity economics (markets, welfare, costs, peak load and capacity). He has had head-of roles in regulation, compliance, power station asset management, quantitative analysis, consulting, trading, marketing and product development. He is the Deputy Independent Member of the island of Ireland Single Electricity Market Committee and acts as advisor to the Association of Renewable Energy and Clean Technology.
Professor Jacopo Torriti
Jacopo Torriti is a Professor of Energy Economics and Policy at the University of Reading and Flexibility Theme Lead of the Energy Demand Research Centre (EDRC). His research focuses on demand side response and dynamic tariffs. Jacopo has published over 100 research papers and his books include ‘Peak Energy Demand and Demand Side Response’ (2015), ‘Energy Fables’ (2019), and ‘Appraising the Economics of Smart Meters’ (2020), all published by Routledge. He is Co-Editor in Chief of Energy Sources Part B: Economics, Planning, and Policy. He is a member of Ofgem Academic Panel, Ofgem DSO Performance Panel, Defra Economics Advisory Panel, and the Strategic Advisory Team on Energy and Decarbonisation for the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Jacopo held academic positions at the London School of Economics, the University of Surrey and the European University Institute. He holds a PhD from King’s College London.
Lisa Waters
Lisa Waters is a founding Director of Waters Wye Associates (WWA), an energy consultancy specialising in GB gas, electricity and retail issues. She is an economist with over twenty years’ experience in the energy sector, working for a wide variety of energy companies and customers. Lisa is an industry representative on the electricity industry’s Balancing and Settlement Code (BSC) Panel and is a member of the of the Advisory Board of Carbon Connect, an independent policy research forum that seeks to inform the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to starting WWA, Lisa worked for a number of energy companies, the Energy Intensive Users Group and the CBI. Lisa has a degree in economics and a masters in environmental and resource economics.