October 30, 2012

what should be in the Energy Bill?

The UK government is about to publish its Energy Bill which will map out the country’s future strategy on producing and distributing energy.

Central to the bill is the Electricity Market Reform (EMR), seen by some as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to simultaneously tackle climate change, address UK energy security and boost the economy by providing an investment framework for the energy industry, enabling much-needed upgrading of energy infrastructure.

Many industry leaders, including the CBI, also take the view that taking a lead in renewable energy could revitalise large swathes of British industry.  But the energy industry says that it urgently needs long-term policy certainty to justify spending at a time of global financial turmoil and stay in step with UK energy security needs.

We brought together some of the UK’s most experienced engineers and energy policy experts to discuss these issues ahead of the anticipated publication of the Energy Bill.

Speakers:

Prof Roger Kemp FREng, Professorial Fellow, Department of Engineering, Lancaster University

Prof John Loughhead OBE FREng, Executive Director, UK Energy Research Centre

Dr John Roberts CBE FREng, Former CEO of Merseyside and North Wales Electricity Board and United Utilities