EP. 273 - From the C-Suite: What Next for Britain’s Energy Transition

Jan 23, 2026

Guest

Dame Dawn Childs

Guest

Keith Anderson

Guest

Jonathan Brearley

Dame Dawn Childs, CEO of Pure Data Centres Group, on data centre demand and microgrids. Keith Anderson, CEO of Scottish Power, on grid build-out and investor confidence. Jonathan Brearley, CEO of Ofgem, on regulatory agility and network planning. They discuss planning bottlenecks, escalating electricity demand, grid reform, cost allocation and using data centres for system flexibility.

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INSIGHT

2030 Possible If Direction Holds

Hitting the 2030 clean power target is possible but requires massive, immediate effort.
Jonathan Brearley emphasises direction and stability over obsessing about exact dates.

INSIGHT

Protect Investor Confidence

Investor confidence is fragile and sensitive to frequent policy changes.
Keith Anderson warns that altering auction rules and mechanisms risks deterring capital.

ADVICE

Avoid Short-Term Policy Tweaks

Avoid frequent, uncoordinated policy tinkering when large capital is needed.
Keep mechanisms stable to ensure £50–70bn of investment continues to flow into clean power.

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This week on Energy Unplugged, we bring you a live panel discussion from Aurora’s Energy Transition Summit, moderated by Camilla Palladino, Deputy Head of Lex at the Financial Times. She is joined by Jonathan Brearley, CEO of Ofgem; Dame Dawn Childs, CEO of Pure Data Centres Group; and Keith Anderson, CEO of Scottish Power, for a wide-ranging debate on whether Britain’s energy transition can remain on course amid political uncertainty, rising bills and growing scrutiny of net-zero commitments.

Drawing on perspectives from regulation, infrastructure delivery and energy-intensive demand, the panel strikes a note of cautious optimism on the UK’s clean power ambitions, while highlighting the barriers that must be addressed. The conversation explores the need for faster planning and regulatory reform, greater policy stability to sustain investor confidence, and a grid fit for a 21st-century economy - capable of supporting growth in AI, data centres, manufacturing and life sciences. The discussion also examines affordability, questioning how network and policy costs are recovered, and why accelerating grid investment could be one of the most effective ways to cut system costs and ease pressure on consumers.

You will learn about:

Why planning speed and regulatory agility are now critical to delivering the energy transition.
How policy instability risks undermining investor confidence at a time of major capital need.
The growing tension between rising electricity demand and an overstretched grid network.
What grid reform and cost allocation could mean for energy bills and long-term system efficiency.

Registration for the leading annual gathering of the European energy industry – the Aurora Spring Forum, taking place on 29th April 2026, in London is open - a one-day deep dive into the biggest strategic questions shaping Europe’s energy transition, plus top-tier networking and a live recording of Energy Unplugged.

Book now at https://auroraer.com/events/aurora-spring-forum-2026 and use code PODCAST20 for 20% off.