The role of the ISG

Our Independent Stakeholder Group (ISG) is a formal group which provides representation at a strategic level from a wide range of stakeholder segments including Local Government, Sustainability, Environment and Community Energy.

Through independent scrutiny and challenge of the depth, breadth and quality of our engagement, the ISG will hold us to account, assessing how effectively our business plan addresses key consumer and stakeholder concerns. The ISG will also help ensure that we maintain, and build upon, our culture of consistent, relevant and effective engagement.

This is an exciting - yet critical - time for Distribution networks. To support further economic growth and the delivery of our shared decarbonisation goals, significant investment is needed. At the same time, many of SSEN Distribution’s customers face real cost of living and financial pressures.

The ISG is key to ensuring the interests of SSEN Distribution’s stakeholders shape the company’s decision making, strengthening the ED3 business plan and building confidence in the process.

Sharon Darcy

Chairperson of SSEN Distribution’s Independent Stakeholder Group

Tamar Bourne on site with SSEN colleagues

ISG insight: Innovation

Embedding new thinking across the business

Tamar Bourne reflects on how innovation needs to be embedded across SSEN’s ED3 business plan, not treated as a standalone activity.

Tamar Bourne
Independent Stakeholder Group member

Read Tamar’s insight

Meet our ISG:

Select a member of our Independent Stakeholder Group to learn more about their background and experience.

Sharon is a consumer champion with extensive stakeholder engagement and governance experience. She is currently a non-executive director of the Energy Saving Trust and Portsmouth Water and chair of CHEM Trust, a charity which protects humans and wildlife from harmful chemicals.

In her personal consultancy work, she advises clients on issues including the energy transition, regulation, planning and climate resilience.

In 2023 Sharon established and chaired the Linear Infrastructure Planning Panel to develop good practice in the use of new technologies and approaches in the major projects needed to deliver net zero, resilience and nature recovery.

Prior to this, she was CEO of leading energy and water think tank Sustainability First.

Sharon has over twenty years non-executive director experience including for Which?, government consumer bodies Consumer Futures and EnergyWatch, and housing association The Hyde Group.

A qualified accountant, she began her career at the National Audit Office working on value for money studies in the privatisation and regulation department.

Claire is a highly experienced consumer research and policy professional, specialising in consumer needs, decision-making and outcomes across a wide range of markets including financial and payment services, energy, water, retail, aviation, road and rail and advertising. She brings particular expertise in outcomes-focussed regulation and consumer vulnerability.

Claire is Chair of the MOSL Performance Assurance Committee, is a member of the CMA Panel, Pay.UK's End User Advisory Council, the FLA Lending Code Board, the Board of PHIN, and the FCA/PSR Competition Decisions Committee.

She was also Senior Fellow at the Personal Finance Research Centre, Head of Research and Policy at the Welsh Consumer Council and Deputy Director of Policy/Head of Consumer Futures at the National Consumer Council.

Tamar is the Associate Director (Innovation) at Regen, an independent not-for-profit whose mission is to transform the UK's energy system for a net zero future. With a wealth of experience in the energy sector leading pioneering projects, influencing national policy and supporting a range of clients, she's passionate about finding new ways to address barriers to the net zero transition. Tamar has previously been a member of both the SSEN Customer Engagement Group and the Stakeholder Advisory Panel.

Her background is in environmental sustainability, research and policy. Prior to joining Regen, she worked for the Sustainable Development Commission.

Chris is the Director of Regulatory Affairs at S&C Electric Company, which specialises in the switching, protection and control of electric power systems. Chris leads S&C's work reviewing trends in policy and regulation in the energy industry globally including tracking key electricity price controls internationally.

Prior to working for S&C, Chris worked for Ofgem for 16 years on a range of areas of network regulation including the RIIO-1 price controls. Chris has also been a member of SSEN's CEG for RIIO-ED2.

Chris is an expert in price controls and network regulation with over 22 years' experience including a focus on economic analysis, policy development, performance incentives, benchmarking, and cost assessment.

Fayza is the Director of Policy at the National Farmers Union, a 44,000 member strong organisation, where she works alongside national officeholders and sector commodity boards to develop policy on issues that have the most immediate impact on farm business operations.

Fayza has a background in developing regulatory strategy and policy, having held roles at Ofwat, the Ministry of Justice and the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Prior to this, Fayza worked in sustainability consulting and was a barrister specialising in criminal and regulatory law.

Andrew is the Planning Lead for the Mayor of London's Infrastructure Coordination Service, where he is leading on the preparation of local area energy plans in London and supporting the development of new energy planning data tools and support functions. Prior to this, he worked in a variety of policy roles at the Greater London Authority and National Infrastructure Commission, and also for the NSW Government working on land use planning strategies for metropolitan Sydney.

Andrew was a member of SSEN's Customer Engagement Group between 2019 and 2022, supporting development of the ED2 business plan.

Barry is the Head of Energy Markets for Consumer Scotland. He has been an energy market expert for over 15 years, and has extensive experience throughout the energy supply chain in both the private and public sectors.

Prior to joining Consumer Scotland he held a variety of leadership roles, including as Head of Regulation for SSE Renewables, helping to deliver the company's global portfolio of renewable generation projects.

Barry has over a decade of experience working with Ofgem, the energy regulator, leading various teams designing different parts of the energy system regulatory framework.

Barbara has a blend of public and private sector experience, with extensive knowledge of the Scottish Local Authority landscape, and has developed robust relationships with a range of Scottish stakeholders. With an in-depth working knowledge of stakeholder engagement, low carbon technologies and Scottish climate change commitments, Barbara also has significant experience in the energy industry.

Barbara currently chairs the city of Dundee's Climate Leadership Group and has also spent the past ten years chairing Hydrogen Scotland, the principal membership organisation for the sector in Scotland.

Barbara's achievements include leading the successful development of the Glenrothes District Heat Scheme and a key partner in establishing the Levenmouth Community Energy project. During her career, Barbara was also responsible for leading East Coast Renewables, an alliance of Local Authorities across the East Coast of Scotland, aiming to maximise the economic impact of the renewables sector.

Keith is the Managing Director of Asset Management & Business Consulting for Isle Utilities.

Keith has extensive utility sector experience having worked both in Water & Energy companies and consultancy for 23+ years across the industry globally. He was previously the Director of Asset Strategy and Capital Delivery for Affinity Water, the largest Water only Company in the UK.

He has extensive experience working in Regulatory Price Reviews both in the Water and Energy Sector, where he has experience in the development of Corporate Asset Management Strategy, optimised Asset Investment Plans and Capital Delivery Strategies.

Keith is a recognised Asset Management expert, he is a full member of the Institute of Asset Management (MIAM), holding the IAM Diploma in Asset Management and is currently the Chair of the London & SE Branch of the IAM.

ISG document library

In this section you’ll find lots of useful documents including the ISG Terms of Reference, the principles they apply when logging formal challenges and other important documents such as relevant research findings.

Get in touch

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