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The Panel

The BSC places an obligation on the BSC Panel to ensure that the provisions of the BSC are given effect: fully, promptly, fairly, economically, efficiently, transparently and in such a manner as will promote effective competition in the generation, supply, sale and purchase of electricity.

BSC Panel functions include:

Ensuring that the BSC is given effect, according to its terms, and ensuring that BSC Parties comply with the BSC provisions.
Establishing Panel Committees of industry experts to carry out functions on its behalf, including establishing arrangements for resolving Trading Disputes arising under the BSC.
Deciding on the suspension of specific rights of any Defaulting BSC Party according to Section H of the BSC.
Overseeing changes to the BSC through the Modification process, and recommending to the Authority on whether Modification Proposals should be approved.
Adopting new and revised Code Subsidiary Documents (CSDs).
Determining values for trading parameters to be applied in the BSC, and recommending to the Authority in respect of others.
Acting as an appeal body in some instances, e.g. Trading Dispute Referrals.
Providing reports and other information to the Authority.
Setting the terms of reference for the BSC Auditor and considering the BSC Audit Report.
Approving the Business Strategy prepared by ELEXON for each BSC Year.

The BSC Panel must assess Modification Proposals against a defined set of criteria laid out in the Transmission Company’s Licence. These are known as the Applicable BSC Objectives.

The Panel makes determinations on trading parameters and has powers to ensure BSC Parties are complying with the BSC rules.

The BSC Panel, under normal circumstances, meets on a monthly basis. It will convene ad-hoc urgent meetings when required.

Panel Members must act impartially and not be representative of any one Party or class of Parties. A full list of the BSC Panel functions and details of the Applicable BSC Objectives are published in BSC Section B. Trading Parties elect Industry Panel Members for two-year terms. The last election was in 2014. The next one will be in 2016.

BSC Panel Strategy and Strategic Work Programme

The BSC Panel has identified its strategic priorities in a Panel Strategy and incorporated a Strategic Work Programme that addresses these priorities though 2015/16 and beyond. Both the Strategy and Work Programme feeds directly into the development of the annual BSCCo business plan and will inform the work of the Panel, its Committees and ELEXON going forward.

Review of Panel Governance

In April 2013, the BSC Panel and Board jointly commissioned Bill Knight to carry out an independent review of ELEXON’s governance. The Knight Report was published in 2013. The ELEXON Board has subsequently been considering ELEXON’s governance in light of the Knight Report and in dialogue with the BSC Panel.

The BSC Panel also began work to consider its own governance in August 2014 and commissioned a small group of its members to conduct a review of Panel governance in November 2014.

It considered the review group’s initial thinking regarding Panel accountability, role and functions and agreed that these context-setting pieces should be used to develop conclusions in relation to the delegation of Panel responsibilities and its operating practices. Thought pieces were published on each of these areas along with a one-page overview of this initial thinking.

In September 2015, the Panel considered three more thought pieces developed by the review group on Panel delegation and Panel operations. The Panel committee review spreadsheet summarises the roles and key characteristics of each of the Panel Committees.

The review group welcomes any comments on Panel delegation and Panel operations. Please send any comments to the Panel Secretary by Friday 16 October 2015.

Attending Panel Meetings

The majority of Panel Meetings are held in open session, however, some business which relates to confidential and/or commercially sensitive matters may be held in closed session. Please contact the panelsecretary@elexon.co.uk if you want to attend the open session of any BSC Panel meeting.

Please note that we record BSC Panel meetings for quality and training purposes. We don’t publish these recordings, however, they may be shared with Panel members and the appointed attendees from Ofgem and Distribution Businesses as well as the BSC Auditor and employees of ELEXON Ltd.

By attending and/or participating in the BSC Panel meeting you agree that your contributions at the Panel meeting will be recorded.