Businesses "must engage in the debate" over their future energy needs in a climate of increasing demand for power, according to Electricity North West chief executive Steve Johnson.

He made the comments ahead of speaking at Insider's Big North West Energy Debate at the Hallmark Hotel in Handforth on Friday, 12 February 2016.

Johnson said: "The electricity industry is going to change more in the next ten years than it has in the past 50. Smart meters and smart grids also need smart customers who understand the changes to make the most of them."

Electricity usage is set to double between now and 2050 as we move away from gas and fossil fuels for heating and transport, according to Johnson, who said that "doubling the demand for electricity would normally mean doubling the size of the region's energy infrastructure, with all the cost and disruption that would bring".

He added: "At Electricity North West, we're looking at innovative ways to make more of the infrastructure we already have in the region. Businesses must engage in the debate to make sure they understand the role they can play to reduce their bills and ensure they get the power they need."

Johnson will be joined by: Paul Harding, former managing director and special adviser to Urenco; and Adrian Bull, director of external relations at the National Nuclear Laboratory.

Matthew Hirst, chief executive at Utiligroup; Dean Cockett, co-founder and director at Businesswise Solutions; and Barny Evans, renewable energy and sustainable development director at WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff will also be speaking at the event alongside Darren Walsh, partner and head of energy in the North West at DLA Piper.

The breakfast debate is being sponsored by: Electricity North West, Businesswise Solutions, DLA Piper, Energy Innovation Centre and Utiligroup.

Click here for more information and to register your interest in attending the Big North West Energy Debate 2016.

Read more at insidermedia.com