ARTICLE
What’s holding electricity flexibility back? – Future of Utilities Summit 2026
The technology for demand-side flexibility is ready. At the Future of Utilities Summit 2026, the industry's attention turned to the harder problems: consumer trust and whether there's enough value in it for ordinary households.
The technology argument for flexibility is settled. The trust and value arguments have barely started. That was the dominant message from Ignition Partners’ Joanne Smalley’s conversations at this year’s Future of Utilities Summit. Kate Mulvaney of Mulvaney Consulting and Sean Layerle of Baalbek Insights both argued the kit has stopped being the problem – the sector’s technology base has stabilised. But on what’s holding flexibility back, three very different answers emerged.
Sean’s is risk appetite: the winners are already moving, failing at small scale and learning faster than everyone else. David Watson of BFY Group says it’s trust – decades of inaccurate billing and unreliable smart meter reads have left a deficit the industry hasn’t resolved. Kate reframes it around automation that makes flexibility something customers never have to think about. And underneath all three sits value: David reckons a well-optimised household might earn a couple of hundred pounds a year – enough for the engaged, nowhere near enough for the mainstream.
Lennart van Walsum of the Global Solar Council widened the lens, arguing that storage is now an essential addition to any solar install – and that pairing the two adds more assets to the flexibility pot.
Read the full story. Link: https://www.talkingutilities.com/transition-economy/future-of-utilities-summit-take-on-flexibility/
Joanne Smalley, Co-Founder and Director, Ignition Partners
Joanne Smalley is a go-to-market strategist and growth leader specialising in the energy and technology sectors. With over 15 years’ experience across the UK and global energy markets, they have helped utilities, SaaS providers, climate tech companies and technology businesses accelerate growth through commercial strategy, market positioning, demand generation and strategic partnerships. Combining deep industry expertise with an extensive network across the energy ecosystem, they translate complex propositions into compelling commercial narratives that win customers, attract investment and drive measurable business outcomes.
Kate Mulvaney, Founder, Mulvany Consulting
Kate Mulvaney is an independent energy strategist and advisor with over 20 years’ experience helping organisations make better decisions in changing energy markets. Through Mulvaney Consulting, she advises leadership teams, investors, public bodies and regulated organisations on strategy, regulation, policy, markets, investment and organisational change. Drawing on deep expertise across the energy value chain, Kate is known for translating complex technical, commercial and regulatory challenges into practical, commercially focused advice.
Sean Layerle, Managing Partner, Baalbek Insights
Sean Layerle is an internationally experienced Product Management leader specialising in digital solutions for the energy transition. With more than two decades of experience—including over a decade in Silicon Valley and leadership roles across five continents—they have developed and scaled data-intensive software products for leading energy technology companies. Combining expertise in product strategy, grid flexibility, energy management and behavioural science, they help organisations create innovative digital products and services that accelerate the transition to a smarter, more sustainable energy system.
Lennart van Walsum, Director EMEIA & Americas , Global Solar Council
Lennart van Walsum is an internationally recognised renewable energy leader with over 15 years’ experience across the global solar PV and battery storage industry. Having lived and worked across Europe, the Americas and the UK, they have built deep expertise spanning the entire solar value chain, from residential and commercial rooftop systems to utility-scale projects. Today, they advise organisations advancing the energy transition through strategic consulting, drawing on extensive international experience, technical expertise and a strong global network across the renewable energy sector.
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Lewis Suckling Business Development Manager Future of Utilities
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