Flexible Futures 2025: space and time to re-imagine our energy systems
What? A cutting-edge, invite-only workshop, exploring the challenges and opportunities bound up in energy flexibility
When? 27-28 March 2025
Where? Madrid, in person, Octopus Energy Office, Torre Emperador 12th floor, Paseo de la Castellana, 259D, 28046 Madrid, España
Conference Language: English
Agenda: See here
We are terrible at forecasting the future.
We are, too often, deeply conservative and pessimistic. Renewables are expanding relentlessly, yet we continue to predict flat growth. Take solar power as an example: actual installations have been exceeding five-year forecasts by more than threefold on average. Across the EU, renewable capacity is now forecast to hit 736 GW by 2030 - more than 90% higher than the original Fit-for-55 scenario of 383 GW.
And it’s happening in clean tech too: global battery prices have plummeted 90% since 2010, and LFP battery prices in China have fallen by over 50% in just a year. These are not linear trends - they’re exponential. And yet, as humans, we often struggle to grasp the speed and scale of such change.
Does this matter? Yes - because today, we’re building the future. Whether it’s network capacity, market design, or technology stacks, the choices we make now will define the energy systems of tomorrow.
To truly prepare for the future we’ll face, we need more imagination—and more collaboration across the entire energy space.
In short, we need you.
This invitation-only two-day workshop will explore the concept of energy flexibility - especially that flexibility afforded by shifting consumer demand - and what we need to do to unlock its true potential for consumers, markets, grid operators and system operators alike.
Speakers announced so far (with many more to come)
CEO and cofounder of Piclo
James Johnston is the CEO and cofounder of Piclo, the world's leading marketplace for grid flexibility. Prior to Piclo, James spent 3 years researching microgrids at University of Strathclyde. James is also the founder of Solar Sketch, a design company for the solar industry and worked at international engineering firm Arup. James is a published author contributing chapters to Academic Press books on peer-to-peer energy and local flexibility trading.
Group Executive Market Development and Strategy at Ausgrid
Tim joined Ausgrid as the Group Executive, Market Development and Strategy in March 2024. With extensive sector experience, Tim previously worked in a range of senior roles at National Grid in the UK, one of the world’s largest listed utilities focussed on the transmission and distribution of electricity and gas; these included being the Director of Strategic Projects, Chief of Staff to the CEO and Group Head of Strategy. During his time at National Grid, Tim also represented the business on the Energy Transitions Commission, a global think tank aimed at meeting the dual challenges of net zero and economic growth. Tim studied Material Science at the University of Oxford and has a PhD in Engineering Design from the University of Cambridge.
Head of European System Change at Octopus Energy
Marcia Poletti is currently Head of European System Change at Octopus Energy, and a Non-Executive Director at Eelpower, a UK grid scale storage company. In both these roles she is focused on driving change to deliver the energy transition as quickly and cheaply as possible.
Marcia has deep government and strategy experience, with a career spanning energy consulting at McKinsey to energy transition policy for the UK Government. She joined Octopus Energy in 2022 from OFGEM, UK’s Energy Regulator, where she was Strategy Deputy Director. She has a B.E EngSci (Hons) and an MBA from INSEAD.
Global Head of Flexibility & Electrification at Octopus Energy
Alex Schoch leads the Flexibility team at Octopus Energy focused on developing and bringing to market next generation products and underlying technologies spanning from utility scale generation and to consumer demand. His role is pivotal in shaping the future of the environment by utilising green tech to decarbonise industries as well as domestic homes.
Flexibility Commercial Manager at UK Power Networks
With eight years of experience in the utilities sector, Carol is growing the largest DSO flexibility market in the UK, facilitating Net Zero transition for all at the lowest cost. Prior to DSO, she has been instrumental in crafting business models that accelerate the adoption of low carbon technologies through innovation and strategic projects.
Senior Director at FTI Consulting
Tim Schittekatte is a Senior Director at FTI Consulting where he works on projects in the power sector across the globe. His focus is on electricity market and network tariff design.
He is also a part-time professor at the Florence School of Regulation. Prior to joining FTI, he was a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management. His background is a mix of economics, engineering and operations research. He has published in leading academic journals such as Science, Nature Energy, Joule and The Energy Journal.
Team Manager Innovative Market Solutions at TransnetBW
Dr. rer. nat. Jochen Bammert is Team Manager of Innovative Market Solutions (grid economics) at TransnetBW. After receiving his Ph.D. in theoretical physics at Bayreuth University in 2011, he began his career at the TSO TenneT T working on congestion management and system operation. In 2015 he joined TransnetBW. Jochen Bammert has almost 15 years of experience in system operations, regulation and market design. He has worked on congestion management, capacity calculation, regional cooperations, national and cross-border redispatch, ancillary services, TSO/DSO coordination and provision of flexibility for Market and Grid. Furthermore, he is also responsible for several research and implementation projects.
CEO of Octopus Energy España
Roberto Giner is an accomplished executive with extensive experience in the energy and business sectors. Since 2021, he has served as CEO of Octopus Energy Spain, where he leads the company’s rapid growth and innovation in the Spanish energy market.
Over the years, Roberto has held leadership roles across multiple industries, driving the development of new business ventures, overseeing strategic operations, and establishing key projects in renewable energy. His entrepreneurial mindset and focus on sustainable solutions have consistently delivered exceptional results, positioning him as a key figure in the transition to greener energy systems.
Strategy Director at Octopus Energy
Arthur Downing is a Strategy Director at Octopus Energy. Before that, he was a Principal at the Boston Consulting Group, focusing on electricity network strategy, operations and regulation. Before that he was Director of Strategy and Regulations at National Gas Transmission and worked at National Grid. Arthur is writing a book on the history of the energy system in Britain and has a blog on the topic https://energynetworks.substack.com/
Head of Spark by Volue
Kjetil Storset is dedicated to accelerating smart energy solutions that enable distribution system operators to unlock demand-side flexibility. As the leader of Spark by Volue, he focuses on empowering flexible energy resources by driving the introduction of dynamic network tariffs for low-voltage grids. Kjetil has extensive experience at the executive level in both utilities and digital solution providers, bridging technology and energy markets to drive the energy transition.
Policy Manager at Kraken
Pete is Policy Manager for Kraken with a focus on all things flex, both behind and front of the meter. Among other things for Kraken he has led work on code reform, market design, the aggregator-supplier interaction, and device optimisation / interoperability. Before joining Kraken he worked for the UK Government Department for Energy and Net Zero, with roles across electricity markets, energy efficiency, and heat decarbonisation.
Flexibility Market Development Manager
As the Flexibility Market Development Manager at National Energy System Operator, Yingyi works at the forefront of enabling demand-side flexibility to support the transition to a Net Zero energy system. Yingyi has held various roles across NESO with a focus on flexibility markets, ancillary service development and auction design. Now she is leading the development of NESO’s Flexibility Market Strategy.
Head of Market Design at Elexon
John Lucas is Head of Market Design at Elexon, the independent not-for-profit company responsible for Imbalance Settlement and Flexibility Market Rules in GB. His focus is removing blockers to the growth of GB flexibility markets through implementing mandatory Half Hourly Settlement for smart meters, changing rules to facilitate market access for independent aggregators, and establishing the Market Facilitator function that will be responsible for aligning national and local flexibility market rules.
CEO of Jedlix BV
Serge is the CEO of Jedlix BV, a Kraken company since 2024. A seasoned entrepreneur in IoT and smart energy, Serge has driven business model transformation and fostered ecosystem development for leading multinational telecom and internet companies across EMEA and Asia for over 30 years.
Since 2019, Serge has been leading Jedlix BV, spearheading innovations that unlock the full potential of EV charging and discharging processes—delivering value to EV drivers, as well as the wider eMobility and energy ecosystems. Passionate about the future of smart energy, he co-chairs the European Coalition for Bidirectional Charging, sits on the Steering Committee of Mercury, and has previously served as Vice-President of the France Smart Grids Association, ThinkSmartGrids.
Head of Regulatory and Public Affairs at tiko Energy Solutions AG
Member of the management board at tiko Energy Solutions responsible for Regulatory Affairs, and Chairman of the board at smartEn. Former Energy Counselor at the Mission of Switzerland to the European Union. Historian and economist. Part-time politician and proud owner of a Maltese dog called Patron.
Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs for Enel X
Dr Paul Troughton is Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs for Enel X, innovators in customer-facing energy solutions. He heads their Flexibility Policy Centre, focusing on programme design issues in new markets. Paul has worked in demand response for more than a decade, with direct experience of the markets in Australia, New Zealand, GB, and Ireland, and exposure to issues in many other countries. He has previously worked in clean technology investment, consumer electronics start-ups, and for the Electricity Corporation of New Zealand, where he was one of the first to get to grips with nodal pricing.