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Philip Lewis
Founder and CEO VaasaETT; Co-Founder The Traxis Group
Professional Background
Philip Lewis has established himself as a venerated figure in the realm of energy market analysis. With more than 24 years of experience navigating over 100 markets, he has been at the forefront of the liberalised energy market since its inception in Great Britain. His extensive expertise encompasses competition dynamics, customer behavior, and disruptive change within the energy sector, making him a leading authority on these pivotal areas.
Throughout his illustrious career, Philip has contributed to numerous high-profile public projects, providing invaluable insights and strategic recommendations to governments, regulators, energy companies, and investors. In 2021, he took on the role of director for a groundbreaking project commissioned by the European Commission, which aimed at identifying barriers to entry across all European markets. Additionally, he served as the lead consultant in a pivotal review of market barriers conducted by Nordic regulators and participated in the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) examination of prices and competition in 2018. His expertise has been sought after by national governments, including two national competition reviews for Finland, reflecting his versatility and depth of knowledge in the energy space.
Philip's commitment to advancing understanding and practices in the energy sector extends beyond consultancy work. He played an instrumental role in the academic community as well, having served as the editor of the world’s first book on global liberalisation. His influence in the sector is echoed through his contributions to Smart Energy Europe, an organization he co-founded to advocate for a forward-thinking energy sector, and his membership on the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on the Future of Electricity.
Education and Achievements
Philip holds a PhD in Marketing, focusing on Customer Psychology and Service, from The University of Edinburgh. He also earned a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) degree in Psychology and Economics from the University of Westminster. This strong educational foundation has empowered Philip to approach energy market analysis with a unique perspective, blending behavioral insights with rigorous economic analysis.
His numerous accolades underscore his professional stature, such as being recognized among the 11 Global Smart Energy Elites by Metering and Smart Energy, an endorsement of his impactful work within the energy sector. He is also credited with formulating Europe's first official definition of energy customer switching, a crucial aspect of promoting competition and consumer empowerment in the energy market.
In addition to his innovative contributions, Philip is dedicated to fostering knowledge transfer within the sector. He regularly conducts training sessions for European energy regulators (CEER), equipping them with the tools to navigate complex competition issues. His reputation as a thought leader is affirmed by his role as a keynote speaker at significant industry events, including EU Sustainable Energy Week, European Utility Week, and the Eurelectric Annual Convention. His insights have also graced international platforms such as the World Forum on Energy Regulation and the Florence School of Regulation, an acknowledgment of his global influence.
Philip's academic contributions continue to shape the energy landscape, as evidenced by his role as a reviewer for the International Journal of Energy Sector Management and his former position on the editorial board of the European ‘Energy Efficiency’ Journal. His expertise in the field is further highlighted by his previous role as a faculty member for the Diploma of Advanced Studies programme in Renewable Energy Management at the University of St Gallen Executive School in Switzerland.
Achievements
Throughout his career, Philip Lewis has achieved numerous milestones that underscore his impact on the energy sector. A few notable achievements include:
- Director of Influential Projects: Philip has directed key projects for prominent bodies, including the European Commission, focusing on competitive landscape assessments and barriers to entry within energy markets across Europe.
- Contributions to Regulatory Framework: His consultancy work with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has assisted in the development of policies that foster fair competition and transparency in the energy sector.
- Pioneering Research: As the editor of the inaugural book on global liberalisation, Philip played a critical role in disseminating knowledge and best practices in energy market reform.
- Speaker and Trainer: Recognized as a sought-after speaker, Philip has delivered insights at key industry events, sharing his extensive knowledge of competition dynamics and market behaviour with international audiences.
- Established Thought Leadership: Philip’s membership in high-profile councils and organizat
Highlights
The gap between wholesale and unprotected all-in retail electricity prices for households are at an all time high. What used to be a typical margin without protection measures is now a typical margin with those measures included.
The gap, it should be stressed, includes not only energy but also network and other regulated charges (including tax and VAT), but it represents an important metric representing the price consumers are offered relative to the market cost of energy.
The question is, have retail prices adjusted to protection measures - able to rise because customers are isolated from the full impact of those increases? Or have increased risk premiums been built into price setting? Or have non-energy costs increased in significance? Well as you might expect, it is a complex mix of all these factors.
Either way, without the current price protection measures, imposed during the crisis but still present in most European markets, retail electricity prices would be more distanced from wholesale than at any time since records began. As of July 2024 the gap was 18.4 c€/kWh, compared with an average of 13.7 c€/kWh prior to COVID and the energy crisis.
Seamus Byrne Manuel Sánchez Ignacio Martínez Ignacio Muniozguren Garcia Csilla Bartok Una Shortall Gerard Reid Ivan Pearson Adela Tesarova Monika De Volder Dr. Deniz Erdem Johannes Mayer Tomás Llobet Monique Goyens Ron Ben-David
#energyprices #energypriceindex #electricityprices #Europeanenergyprices #europe #priceincreases
Have retail energy prices reached a new substantially higher long-term equilibrium level? Post-crisis European retail energy prices have again halted their recent decline and have now turned in many states despite remaining significantly above pre-crisis levels. Whether this is part of a longer trend is not yet clear (it is not the first post-peak upturn) but it could perhaps be argued that either the #energycrisis is not over or the market has fundamentally adjusted following the crisis. As Europe's only truly up-to-date provider of comprehensive, granular retail price data, we will keep you informed as soon as market changes happen. Find out more and subscribe for free updates at https://lnkd.in/d6YPteH
