EDF: Lobbying

This article is part of the Nuclear Spin project of Spinwatch.

Électricité de France (EDF) aims to become one of the most powerful energy companies in Europe. Its subsidiary EDF Energy is already one of the largest energy companies in the UK, employing more than 11,000 people, and supplying gas and electricity to about a quarter of the country's population.

PR and lobbying

EDF is playing a key role in pushing for a new generation of nuclear power stations in the UK.

Private Eye (issue 1151, p8) reported in February 2006 that Chancellor Gordon Brown's younger brother Andrew Brown is EDF Energy's Head of Press. Brown junior previously worked for the lobbying company Weber Shandwick (whose former UK chief executive Philip Dewhurst, is now Director of Group Corporate Affairs at BNFL).

In November 2005, EDF's Chief Executive, Vincent de Rivaz, told a parliamentary committee that new nuclear power stations could be built within ten years if planning and licensing laws are relaxed.

In evidence to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, he said that new nuclear power stations should be built to help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, increase security of supply and lower energy price volatility.

EDF was behind a widely-reported MORI poll, published in November 2005, which claimed that the 'majority of people now believe nuclear power has a vital role to play in meeting Britain's energy requirements and in reducing carbon dioxide emissions'. The poll also showed that the majority of people (76 per cent) believe nuclear plants are vulnerable to terrorist attack, and more than half think that atomic energy causes dangerous pollution.

This poll was the main focus of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Nuclear Energy at its 25 January 2006 meeting. An advance notice of the meeting stated: 'The meeting will focus on the findings of recent MORI polling that shows how Parliamentarians and the public view nuclear power today. The study compares the most recent results to those of previous years, and tracks the way attitudes towards nuclear power have shifted. Robert Knight, Research Director at Ipsos MORI will present the key information produced during the studies and Keith Parker, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA), will provide a briefing on how the industry hopes to learn from and build on this evidence in the year ahead.'

Victory for the lobbyists

Those involved in the huge lobbying campaign for a new nuclear power stations achieved at least a partial victory when the UK government published its energy review report in July 2006, although some in the industry had said it did not go far enough.

Andrew Brown, head of media relations at EDF Energy, and brother of Gordon Brown, Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time, would have been one of those celebrating. Brown had moved to EDF from the PR company Weber Shandwick, where he had been director of media strategy. Weber Shandwick has a long history of involvement with the atomic industry. It also used to provide PR advice to British Nuclear Fuels Ltd (BNFL), which used to manage the Sellafield site. A former UK chief executive of Shandwick International, Philip Dewhurst, had also been an important figure pushing the pro-nuclear message as corporate affairs director for BNFL, and then as acting chairman of the Nuclear Industry Association.

Weber Shandwick worked for Nexia Solutions – a wholly owned subsidiary of BNFL providing technology services and solutions across the full nuclear fuel cycle mainly in the UK, but with an increasing overseas market. Nexia Solutions became the foundation of a new National Nuclear Laboratory when it was launched in July 2008.

External lobbying firms

In 2011-2012 EDF's external registered lobbying firms were the PPS Group, which includes a number of other energy companies among its clients, and MHP Communications.

In August 2012, Pagefield was brought in to handle strategic comms and help strengthen EDF's case for building a controversial proposed third nuclear power reactor at Sizewell in Suffolk, UK. It won the six-figure account after a pitch process thought to have been initiated one year beforehand. According to PR Week Pagefield "is expected to play a key role in the development of EDF’s narrative around the value of a new nuclear power reactor, liaising with the public, media and stakeholders such as the Environment Agency and local authorities. Partner Wendy Blair is handling the account. Mark Gallagher will provide senior-level strategic counsel.

Brunswick Group also mentions EDF Energy as a corporate comms client; Brunswick director Aideen Lee handles the account. Weber Shandwick is retained for consumer PR.

In 2006 EDF used lobbying firm AS Biss and Co.

In January 2008, EDF Group was listed as a client of French PR firm I&E

Internal lobbyists

• Victoria MacGregor - Head of Public Affairs at EDF Energy since 2001. Before this was Marketing and Policy Manager at Independent Healthcare Association and an Account Manager at Grey Advertising.
• Paul Clark - Senior Public Affairs Manager.

Free Fastrack Nuclear Power Plants

As part of its submission to the Government's energy review, EDF offered to build a new fleet of French designed nuclear power stations in Britain - at no cost to the taxpayer.

So what's the catch? EDF wants a system to guarantee the price of its electricity - and to fast track the planning process for any new plants. According to Pierre Gadonneix, the chairman and CEO of the EDF Group, the company would be "very willing" to play a role to make nuclear acceptable to public opinion. EDF is said to have a Euro 40 billion war-chest to expand nuclear worldwide, but a prime target is the UK.

References, Resources and Contact

Resources

• EDF Energy
• EDF Energy and Schools