The Missing Governor: Why we need a digital system architect

ByRoger Hey 15 February 2026

By The Energy Geeks, in association with CGI

The article argues that the UK is building the most complex digital energy system in its history without an architect, and proposes a time-limited Modernisation and Digitalisation Unit with four functions, namely technical architecture, rules of the road, programme management and assurance. It matters because Clean Power 2030 cannot tolerate the Tower of Babel of overlapping, incompatible digital programmes, and the institutional will exists across DESNZ, Ofgem and NESO if coordination authority is finally granted.

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Energy Geeks Publications

Turning a digital vision into action
ByRoger Hey 15 January 2026

The article argues that the sector has lost sight of the destination for digitalisation and proposes ten principles to guide delivery, including a clear modern set of rules in the form of a Highway Code, treating technology as a consequence rather than a driver, and planning in architectural coherence. It matters because the much-anticipated DESNZ and Ofgem digitalisation vision needs to land into a framework that can coordinate the plethora of programmes already in flight and align them around shared outcomes for the consumer.

Read More Turning a digital vision into action
Energy Geeks Publications

Smart meter rollout heading into a ‘cul-de-sac’ unless core problems are fixed
ByRoger Hey 30 November 2024

The article reports the Energy Geeks’ view that the smart meter programme is heading into a digital cul-de-sac unless government moves to a mandatory, area-based rollout, given that around half of installed meters either do not work or face imminent loss of 2G and 3G connectivity. It matters because smart meters are the foundational data point for a low carbon system, and continuing to muddle along with supplier-led, house by house installation will not deliver the network visibility and flexibility that Clean Power 2030 requires.

Read More Smart meter rollout heading into a ‘cul-de-sac’ unless core problems are fixed
Energy Geeks Publications

Transmission sector ‘washing its hands’ of losses
ByRoger Hey 15 May 2025

The article reports that transmission operators and NESO are each disclaiming responsibility for electricity losses, leaving an issue worth as much as ten per cent of generated electricity effectively unowned by any party in the regulatory framework. It matters because losses are a system cost paid by consumers and a meaningful source of avoidable carbon, and ED3 needs to translate Ofgem’s recent warmer language into a concrete incentive and a credible mechanism for ownership.

Read More Transmission sector ‘washing its hands’ of losses
Energy Geeks Publications

Where did all that power go?
ByRoger Hey 15 April 2025

The article argues that up to ten per cent of generated electricity, around 29 TWh in 2023, is lost before reaching customers, and that this has become a system issue rather than just an environmental one as the country pursues Clean Power 2030. It matters because Ofgem has progressively unpicked the regulatory incentives on losses just as electrification and rising peak demand make them more material, and ED3 is the moment to require better measurement, low loss investment and operational action including voltage management and balanced loading.

Read More Where did all that power go?
Energy Geeks Publications

Stuck in a Loop: Tackling the legacy barrier to home decarbonisation
ByRoger Hey 1 September 2025

The article argues that looped electricity services, a legacy engineering practice continuing in some regions into the late 1990s, are now a frontline barrier to electric vehicles and heat pumps and that the voluntary, postcode-lottery approach is a false economy. It matters because over a million looped properties have already been identified by individual DNOs, and RIIO-ED3 needs binding targets, Guaranteed Standards of Performance and a default three-phase standard if home decarbonisation is to keep pace with climate commitments.

Read More Stuck in a Loop: Tackling the legacy barrier to home decarbonisation
Energy Geeks Publications

NIC review does not address key DNO trade-offs
ByRoger Hey 15 March 2025

The article argues that the National Infrastructure Commission’s review of electricity distribution rightly puts DNOs centre stage but stops short of saying how RIIO should be reformed, how flexibility should sit alongside anticipatory investment or how Regional Energy Strategic Plans should bite on networks. It matters because DNOs are the delivery layer for Clean Power 2030 and the questions the NIC leaves open are precisely the ones Ofgem and government need to answer in ED3 if distribution is to keep pace with transmission and generation.

Read More NIC review does not address key DNO trade-offs

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