Gatecrash the energy party with us

Assembly line production revolutionised American society. By inventing a highly efficient system for putting automobiles together, Henry T Ford invented the Model T Ford in 1908. And with it, he made Americans car owners and profoundly changed our transport systems, our cities and our lives. However, Henry Ford was not involved in the previous dominant form of transport – horse drawn carriages. He is famously quoted as saying “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”

History tells us that really significant change rarely comes from the companies which have found success in the existing system. Instead, we have to look to the fringes or even outside for the ideas that really change our world. Faced with energy security and climate change, we now need a radical shift in how we generate, distribute, store and use energy. The major energy companies are not set up to make radical changes to their business model. We need to look further for the disruptive ideas.

Forum for the Future, supported by The Tellus Mater Foundation, is launching an experimental project to find out how they can encourage disruptive change in the industry. They want to help outsiders gatecrash the energy sector and shake up its preconceived ideas. This is not about renewables versus nuclear or centralised versus distributed. This is about changing our day-to-day relationship with energy.

Why gatecrash the energy sector?

• The energy industry is dominated by a few large companies, the majority of which are wedded to the current, centralised, capital-intensive system. Whilst they are making progress, the current rate of change will not deliver a sustainable energy system that can ensure energy security and prevent the worst impacts of climate change. Ofgem’s Project Discovery casts doubt on whether our present system can ever deliver the investment and transformation the sector needs. 
• Ambitious carbon targets have created a demand for low-carbon energy and the need for new approaches to meet this demand. However, new entrants to the market face huge barriers, for example high initial capital costs and powerful incumbents. 
• We need ideas that challenge us to completely rethink the energy system and drive behavioural change. We cannot rely on existing or new technology to deliver change at the scale and speed that is required.
• Some interesting new developments offer opportunities for significant change. For example, the introduction of smart meters will generate rich information about patterns of energy use and an opportunity to develop new products and services.

Farmers are already stepping up to the energy challenge: by improving energy efficiency and exploring opportunities to generate their own from renewable resources. From wind turbines and solar farms to energy crops and woodland – energy is becoming a significant characteristic in the rural landscape. And with farmers managing about 75% of the UK’s land area there is huge potential to help shape a different and more sustainable energy sector.

Do you want to get involved? How can we best support farmers who want to create renewable energy projects? If you are passionate about delivering a radically different energy system then Forum for the Future want to hear from you. Post your ideas and see what others are saying here: http://www.gatecrashenergy.ideascale.com/ and follow further developments at twitter.com/lightbulbmoment.

If you want to be involved then please get in touch:
Gemma Adams: g.adams@forumforthefuture.org
Hugh Knowles: h.knowles@forumforthefuture.org

Gemma and Hugh are sustainability advisors at Forum for the Future – the UKs leading sustainability organisation.