Energy Institute

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

The Energy Institute (EI), according to its website, is 'the leading professional body for the energy industries, representing almost 12,000 professionals both nationally and internationally".

Set up in 2003, the EI 'has been heavily involved in responding to UK government consultations relating to the energy industry'. This includes upstream and downstream hydrocarbons and other primary fuels and renewables, through to power generation, transmission and distribution to sustainable development, demand side management and energy efficiency.

Following a merger of the EI and British Energy Association (BEA) in 2009, the EI provides the secretariat for UKWEC (UK Member Committee of the World Energy Council), a not-for-profit membership body, representing the major energy interests in the UK at the World Energy Council (WEC).

Views on nuclear energy

In a Letter to the Editor of The Independent, Martin Fry, the Vice President of EI preempted opposition to new investment in nuclear energy by calling for a "balanced" debate that avoids 'the "nuclear or renewables" boxing match' and declares that a '[p]art of the answer to security of supply is to harness a diversity of energy resources'.

The EI runs a Nuclear Industry Special Interest Group, which is 'open to all, from those with a general interest in the subject to professional practitioners, researchers and students'. It provides a single platform to access nuclear related documents, events, news and links and a discussion forum, in which both EI members and non-EI members can make posts. (As of September 2013, it contained no posts aside from a 'welcome' post.) Documents included a wide range of reports published since the disaster at Fukushima Daichi nuclear power plant in 2011.

Dining with Greenpeace and ExxonMobil

The speaker at EI's 2005 annual dinner was the CEO of ExxonMobil, Lee Raymond. ExxonMobil is a staunch opponent of the Kyoto Protocol. Raymond's arrival at the event was delayed by a Greenpeace protest. According to The Financial Times:

Host Sir John Collins, chairman of the Energy Institute, then warned that the delicate Raymond would leave the building immediately if any diner moved from their seat or coughed too loudly. This stern threat wasn't enough to deter two middle-aged Greenpeace activists, who had infiltrated the enemy ranks by donning dinner jacket and black tie.

Key Personnel

Chief Executive	Louise Kingham
President	Sir John Collins
Vice President	Brian Hamilton Martin Fry
Communications Director	Jocelyne Bia
Finance and Administration Director	Ian Dixon
Professional Affairs Director	Sarah Beacock

Lobbying & PR

Katie Crabb is the Institute's PR Manager.

Chris Hunt, Energy Institute member is involved with the Motorists Forum, an'independent body' which influences policy in relation to motoring.

Address

Website: http://www.energyinst.org.uk/
Email: info@energyinst.org.uk.
Tel: +44 (0)20 7467 7100
Fax: +44 (0)20 7255 1472
Address: Energy Institute,
61 New Cavendish Street,
London W1G 7AR, UK

Resources

• Energy Institute, Energy industry experts gather in Bristol to examine energy storage, press release 29 August 2013