A specialist 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Business Partners (IBP) track for energy sector organisations, providing structured access to independent research and policy engagement on the UK's Reformed National Pricing programme.

Reformed National Pricing (RNP) is the UK Government's landmark programme to modernise Britain's electricity market. Following the conclusion of the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) in July 2025, the Government confirmed it would retain a single national GB-wide wholesale electricity market and implement an ambitious package of reforms to improve system efficiency, reduce constraint costs, and support long-term decarbonisation.

The RNP Delivery Plan, published in April 2026, sets out the proposed reforms across three core areas:

  • Efficient siting of new assets: through reforms to Transmission Network Use of System (TNUoS) charges, connection charging, and the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP).
  • Improved operational efficiency: including Balancing Mechanism reform, gate closure alignment, and settlement improvements.
  • Constraint management: reducing the cost of network constraints through the Constraints Collaboration Project and improved use of flexibility assets.

These reforms will affect every part of the electricity system,  generators, suppliers, network operators, storage providers, interconnectors, and flexibility aggregators alike.

What is the UKERC RNP Forum?

The UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) RNP Forum is an independent, industry-funded programme of research and stakeholder engagement, designed to help energy companies, policymakers and researchers constructively assess market design options as the RNP package is developed.

UKERC has a 20-year track record of policy-relevant, evidence-based energy research. It played an active role throughout the REMA process from pre-REMA workshops for government officials to influential analysis of volume risk ahead of the zonal pricing decision . In February 2026, UKERC and UCL co-convened a landmark workshop bringing together 65 senior leaders from industry, policymaking and academia to assess stakeholder perspectives on RNP.

The RNP Forum builds on this foundation, providing a sustained, structured platform for industry to engage with independent research as the reforms are designed and delivered.

How does the forum work?

The programme is structured around 3–5 thematic Working Groups (WGs), each co-chaired by an academic lead and an industry partner. Working Groups meet approximately six times per year and carry out deep dives into specific RNP topics, producing targeted briefings and research outputs.

A Steering Committee (SC) co-chaired by UKERC Director Professor Rob Gross and a senior industry representative meets quarterly to steer and prioritise the research programme. The SC includes representation from DESNZ, Ofgem, NESO, The Crown Estate, think tanks, Citizens Advice, independent academics, and industry partners.

The programme is led by:

  • Overall Director: Professor Rob Gross, Director of UKERC, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
  • Lead Investigator: Dr Will Blyth, Principal Research Fellow, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø

What topics will the forum cover?

Working Groups will carry out deep-dives into topics drawn from the full scope of the RNP programme, including:

Locational signals and efficient siting

  • Network charging reform (TNUoS and connection charges)
  • Alignment of investment signals with grid roll-out plans under the SSEP and CSNP
  • Seabed leasing and associated spatial planning

Operational efficiency of markets

  • Improved Balancing Mechanism (BM) design and operation
  • Improved self-balancing and visibility of market positions
  • Increasing the volume of flexible capacity available for redispatch

Constraint management

  • Optimising the use and treatment of flexibility assets including storage and interconnectors
  • Reducing the costs of constraint handling in the BM

What do sponsors receive?

Industry sponsors joining the UKERC RNP Forum Track through IBP receive:

  • Eligibility for a Steering Committee seat (3 seats available to sponsors)
  • Ability to nominate technical experts to join Working Groups for defined work packages
  • Draft outputs for feedback with full transparency, though no editorial rights
  • Name and/or logo recognition in all external programme materials as a contributing sponsor
  • Ability to propose external project scopes for consideration by Working Groups, subject to SC approval
  • Annual Executive-level review meetings with Ministerial invite
  • Access to an aligned annual stakeholder event with a broader industry and policy audience
  • All core IBP membership benefits, including access to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø's wider research ecosystem, Tech Foresight, consultancy days, and events

Why join through IBP?

The IBP model offers energy companies a lower-barrier, higher-impact route into sustained engagement with 51³Ô¹ÏÍø and UKERC without the overhead of negotiating individual research contracts each time.

By joining the UKERC RNP Forum Track through IBP, your organisation gains:

  • A structured seat at the table as the UK's most significant electricity market reform in a generation is designed and delivered
  • Independent, evidence-based intelligence free from government or commercial bias to inform your strategy, investment decisions, and regulatory engagement
  • Direct access to UKERC's network across leading UK universities, with strong links into DESNZ, Ofgem, and NESO
  • Peer engagement with other senior energy sector organisations navigating the same reform landscape

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the UKERC RNP Forum? It is an independent, industry-funded research and stakeholder engagement programme focused on the UK Government's Reformed National Pricing electricity market reform programme. It is convened by the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC), hosted at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, and accessible to energy companies through 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Business Partners.

What is Reformed National Pricing (RNP)? RNP is the UK Government's programme of electricity market reforms, confirmed following the REMA review in July 2025. It retains a single national wholesale electricity market while introducing reforms to network charging, balancing, settlement, and constraint management to reduce system costs and support decarbonisation .

Who leads the UKERC RNP Forum? The programme is directed by Professor Rob Gross, Director of UKERC and Professor at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, with Dr Will Blyth as Lead Investigator.

How is UKERC independent? UKERC is funded by the UK Research Councils and is independent of government and industry. It has a 20-year track record of policy-relevant, evidence-based energy research.

What is the difference between joining the RNP Forum and commissioning a research contract? The IBP track model allows multiple organisations to collectively fund a shared, independent research programme reducing cost per organisation while increasing the breadth and policy influence of the work. It is designed specifically for companies that want ongoing engagement without the complexity of individual contracts.

Which organisations are represented on the Steering Committee? The illustrative SC membership includes DESNZ, Ofgem, NESO, The Crown Estate, think tanks, independent academics, Citizens Advice, and representatives from industry sponsors and external consultants.

Join the UKERC RNP Forum

The UK electricity market is undergoing its most significant reform in a generation. The UKERC RNP Forum Track gives your organisation an independent, credible, and cost-effective route to help shape it.

Get in touch with our Partnership Engagement team, today.