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Regulator Ofgem has granted the Electricity Market Reform administrative team (EMRAT) special dispensation to recruit from outside National Grid’s system operator business to deal with an increased workload.
National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET), which runs EMRAT, is required to recruit from within its system operator (SO) business to avoid other areas of National Grid’s business potentially gaining advantage.
However Ofgem has ruled that as EMRAT is running an additional prequalification for the Early Capacity Auction it is allowed to recruit ten temporary staff from an agency for three months.
The temporary staff will be banned from using portable media or printers, and will have limited email access to ensure data cannot be passed outside of the EMRAT team.
NGET’s business separation compliance monitor will also monitor whether any of the temporary staff are subsequently recruited by another area of the business following the period of employment with EMRAT.
Ofgem said: “Given the unique circumstances of EMRAT running prequalification for three auctions at the same time and the steps they have said they will take to mitigate risks in addition to the usual safeguards, we are of the view that allowing the recruitment of temporary staff on this occasion is appropriate.
The future of the SO role in the UK is currently being debated as the government has expressed a wish for more separation from National Grid’s other businesses moving forwards to limit conflicts of interest.
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