Trio announced as independent DSO Panel members at National Grid’s Distribution System Operator

National Grid Electricity Distribution System Operator (NGED DSO) is beefing up oversight of its work with the appointment of three new members to its Independent DSO Panel.

The country’s largest distribution network operator by size has announced that Nina Skorupska, Janine Michael and Doug Cook will join the newly formed DSO Panel which is chaired by Regina Finn.

The panel will play a vital role in the DSO’s development and will both advise and challenge it – ensuring the company remains focussed on creating a smart and flexible network that facilitates decarbonisation at the right time and cost for its customers and communities.

NGED President Cordi O’Hara said: “These appointments demonstrate our commitment to the formation of a robust and independent DSO panel. Having members with such industry expertise and knowledge will ensure the panel can provide the advice and scrutiny needed to keep us on track.”

The three new panel members are industry experts and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience across distributed generation; consumer and place-based energy advocacy; markets and flexibility; and data and digitalisation of the energy sector.

• Dr Nina Skorupska CBE FEI – CEO, REA the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology. Nina has more than 35 years of experience in the energy industry, and is currently chief executive of REA, the UK’s largest renewables and clean technology trade association with more than 550 company members. She previously held several senior leadership roles within the RWE Group, including joining the board of RWE’s Dutch business, Essent, as Chief Technical Officer. She also serves as a member of the board of Transport for London and is a supervisory board member of the leading Dutch construction and engineering company, Royal BAM NV. Nina was also vice-president of the European Renewable Energy Federation and member of the board of the Women in Science and Engineering Campaign. Nina was awarded a CBE in 2016.

• Janine Michael – Deputy Chief Executive, Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE). Janine has worked in the energy efficiency and sustainable energy sector for more than 30 years. She has been Deputy Chief Executive of the national charity CSE since 2023, previously holding the role of Director of Development and Communications and overseeing an eightfold growth in the charity’s income. She is also chair of a newly formed Community Interest Company, Retrofit West, which CSE established to grow home energy retrofit services across South West England. Prior to joining CSE, Janine worked for a range of energy and construction bodies including the Building Research Establishment, the former Energy Efficiency Office of the Department of the Environment, and the Construction Industry Board. She is also a non-executive director of a community-benefit society where she lives in the Forest of Dean which has developed and owns two 500KW wind turbines.

• Doug Cook – Independent Advisor. Doug has over 20 years’ experience in the emergence of decentralised energy markets, which he has addressed from multiple angles (as a policy maker, software & technology provider, participant and regulator). Doug started his career as a civil servant, and has also been a diplomat, strategy consultant and advisor to an energy retailer’s CEO. His experience spans the UK, Middle Eastern, Australian, Netherlands and German power markets. He holds degrees in economics, international affairs and renewable energy engineering.

The trio join DSO Panel Chair Regina Finn who was appointed in January. Regina, who was the first Chief Executive of Ofwat, is an experienced chief executive, strategic leader, and independent chair with experience across regulation, competition, and consumer policy in the UK and beyond.

Regina said: “I look forward to working with Nina, Janine and Doug, and I’m excited by the depth of experience they bring to the panel. I am confident our panel can work with NGED to meet the challenges ahead as it further evolves to enable decarbonisation at pace.”

The panel will meet quarterly and will make its agenda and minutes public to ensure transparency.

DSO Director Ben Godfrey said: “With its experience and diversity, the DSO Panel will do an outstanding job holding NGED DSO to account and challenge us to be forward thinking in decarbonising for our customers and the communities we serve.”