Answer extracted from the The Future of Utilities Podcast — listen to the full episode below.
How is NISO building long-term commitment to flexibility markets?
Flexibility market development is core to NISO's mission, not a temporary initiative—the National Energy System Operator has embedded it into its vision and strategy. Beyond the well-known Power Responsive program, NISO runs two additional programs specifically designed to enable demand-side flexibility across its markets.
Jonathan Wisdom, who oversees the development and delivery of balancing services at NISO, emphasizes that this commitment goes far deeper than marketing language. The operator actively works to push flexibility forward across the entire energy system, recognizing that consumer participation in flexibility is essential to grid stability and decentralization.
Power Responsive and three dedicated programs
Power Responsive emerged around 10 to 11 years ago, but it has evolved significantly over recent years. As detailed in the episode, the program was redesigned following collaboration with Ofgem and the government, shifting from purely market engagement to direct consumer participation in the energy system.
NISO does not rely on Power Responsive alone. The operator maintains two other programs within its portfolio, all three focused on the same objective: lowering barriers to demand-side flexibility. This multi-program approach signals that NISO views flexibility enablement as a fundamental operational responsibility, not an optional initiative.
"We want to make sure that consumers have the opportunity to participate across our energy system and be really involved."
Jonathan Wisdom — Head of Balancing Services Development and Delivery at NISO. Wisdom oversees how all market participants engage with NISO's balancing services and markets. His role centers on translating regulatory requirements and system needs into practical frameworks that enable both commercial and residential flexibility participation. His expertise spans the intersection of grid operations, market design, and consumer engagement in the modern energy transition.
The consistency of message and resource allocation across three separate programs reflects an institutional commitment that goes beyond the usual project lifecycle. Wisdom's conversation in the podcast also touches on how NISO is working to simplify the complexity that currently deters many consumers and businesses from entering flexibility markets, though the full breakdown of those barriers is explored in greater depth elsewhere in the series.
Key takeaways
- Flexibility market development is embedded in NISO's long-term mission and vision, not a temporary pilot or campaign.
- NISO operates Power Responsive alongside two additional dedicated programs, all aimed at enabling demand-side flexibility.
- Direct consumer engagement in the energy system is now central to how Power Responsive functions, following recent evolution and collaboration with regulators.
- NISO's commitment reflects the growing recognition that decentralized, flexible loads are essential to balancing modern electricity grids.
See also
What barriers exist for consumers and businesses to participate in flexibility markets?
There is significant complexity in the market and industry that makes participation daunting from the outside. NISO is working to simplify access and reduce barriers to entry for both consumers and businesses seeking to engage in flexibility markets.
How does flexibility help balance the modern energy system?
The energy system has moved away from large centralized loads providing all generation to a world where decentralized loads need to participate in balancing supply and demand across the network.
What are the specific targets and goals for Power Responsive by 2030?
NISO published targets showing they currently have around 200 megawatts plus of participation and want to grow that to around 950 megawatts or 1 gigawatt of flexibility participation by 2030.