UK inquiry seeks to identify potential energy market innovations

The Energy and Climate Change Committee has opened a new inquiry in which it said it will look into what disruptive technologies and innovation could transform the future energy sector.

The Committee has asked stakeholders to share either written submissions of less than 1,000 words or short video clips lasting no more than 30 seconds outlining their ideas on what innovations have the greatest potential. It said it would then "shortlist a few to look at in more detail".

Energy expert Becca Aspinwall of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, said that it was positive to see the UK parliament recognise that innovation-driven change is needed in the energy market.

"The need for an ‘energy revolution’ was a hot topic at COP21 in Paris and led to the launch of 'Mission Innovation', supported by the UK and other countries, which 'aims to reinvigorate and accelerate global clean energy innovation with the objective to make clean energy widely affordable'," Aspinwall said. "With a commitment through Mission Innovation to double central government spending on clean energy technology research, development and demonstration projects over the next five years, the Committee may be seeking avenues for delivering on this promise."

Aspinwall said that she expects "high level ideas and concepts" to be highlighted in the submissions to the Committee but questioned whether some of the most "innovative thinking" would be shared with the MPs.

"Anyone harbouring an exciting new disruptive technology is unlikely to share it with the Committee prior to having appropriate intellectual property protections in place," Aspinwall said. "Some of the technologies that will disrupt our energy markets may not have been dreamt up yet either. On the other hand, the inquiry itself could plant the seeds for new ideas. The Committee has left open the possibility of further steps to this inquiry – it will be interesting to see what directions these take."