AEA Technology

AEA Technology was formerly part of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, privatised in 1996. The privatisation was led by Sir Anthony Cleaver as Chairman of the UKAEA, George Robertson as Defence Minister and Lewis Moonie as junior defence minister, as was the subsequent flotation of AEA Technology. Cleaver was AEA chair until 2001. AEA's role, at first, was devoted largely to securing nuclear industry contracts. The group is increasingly moving into environmental consultancy and rail contracts. According to the AEA company website "AEA is a leading international company specialising in consultancy, policy support and programme management for policy implementation. Our largest practice is in the field of Energy and Environment. Our programme management business is also growing rapidly in sectors such as Agriculture, Education, Health, Industry, Transport" .

AEA & The UK National Energy Review

According to Sourcewatch the AEA's involvement in the UK National Energy Review was problematic for some MPs and other interested parties:

"I wondered why [nuclear power] was being pushed and pushed and pushed," said British parliamentarian Dai Davies, in response to news that "key consultants" working on the UK National Energy Review "have strong links to the nuclear industry." The Observer reports that AEA Technology handled public submissions for the review. AEA was formed by the Atomic Energy Authority, and while the firm "has sold most of its nuclear businesses," it still "has a nuclear waste unit, and senior executives and staff have links to the old authority and other parts of the nuclear industry." Some energy experts who made submissions "said they felt their evidence was underplayed and misrepresented." AEA did publish a summary table, "which showed that nuclear power was the only one [of 15 low-carbon technologies] to get more opposition than support." Prime Minister Blair nonetheless supports nuclear power, though "during the recent heatwave nuclear reactors in mainland Europe" and the U.S. "have had to be shut down," due to high water temperatures.

Board Members

Board members listed on the 2006/2007 annual report are as follows:

• DR Bernard Bulkin, chairman
• Andrew McCree, chief executive officer
• Alice Cummings, chief financial officer
• Dr Leslie Atkinson
• Dr Paul Golby
• (Lord) Lewis Moonie
• Rodney Westhead

Past Board Members

Sir Anthony Cleaver 1994-2001