Chapter 5: Conflict of interest and contingency arrangements
24.This Chapter gives the Secretary of State power to amend the national system operator’s transmission licence to introduce business separation or ring-fencing measures. There are valuable synergies from the national system operator taking on the electricity market reform delivery role. However, it could also give rise to conflicts of interest with the system operator’s existing roles in the electricity market, for example as owner of the transmission network, and its other commercial interests such as businesses in carbon capture and storage, interconnection and offshore wind transmission. DECC has been working with the Authority to assess potential conflicts of interest and published a report on proposed mitigation measures in April 2013.
25.This Chapter also provides the Secretary of State with a power to transfer the electricity market reform delivery functions from the national system operator to a new delivery body. Finally, it amends the duties of energy administrators under the special administration regime in the Energy Act 2004 to ensure the continued delivery of electricity market reform functions.