Based on the Issue 30 discussion, Utilita believes either advancement of Gate Closure or the deadline for submission of contract notifications could have a beneficial impact for reducing imbalance risk. Panel observations invited.

Questions posed:

• Implications of shifting GC to 30 mins? Feasibility?
• Impacts on Balancing and imbalance, including on both central and participant systems; Trading through APX & Settlement; SO interactions and balancing efficiency
• Would 45 or 15 mins be better or worse?
• Can contract notification be shifted on its own, and what are the implications?
• Impact on quality of reverse price and spread?

The Group:

• Remained unconvinced of the benefits of Potential Modifications 1 and 2, but agreed that it had provided enough information for a Party to take these forward if desired;
• Agreed that Potential Modification 3 was its preferred solution, and that it would support a Party raising a Modification Proposal to progress this;
• Agreed further areas of analysis that should be undertaken during the progression of any Modification Proposal (the Group agreed that it was not the role of the Issue process to undertake detailed analysis of impacts, costs or benefits);
• Noted that such analysis would fall outside ELEXON’s expertise and agreed that it would therefore be appropriate to commission external consultant analysis as part of the Modification Process; and
• Agreed to close Issue 35.

The final Report was presented to the Panel in April (154/09)