Roman Webber

Partner, Deloitte

Biography

Roman is a partner with over 17 years of energy, infrastructure and utilities experience. He is the head of the Deloitte UK renewable energy team and has worked with a number of companies within the sector including: renewable energy developers and operators, technology companies, utilities, carbon traders as well as oil and gas majors and independents.

Roman spent a year on secondment at Shell in the portfolio team in 2004/2005 and has also advised on a wide range of M&A transactions, IPOs, financing structures and group reorganisations.

Sarah Rhodes

Head of Land-based Renewables, Office for Renewable Energy Deplo, DECC

Biography

Director of Land-based Renewables, Office for Renewable Energy Deployment in DECC. Has worked in low-carbon energy development for the last 3 years, and before that on industry and employment policy within DTI with secondments to regulators and the Cabinet Office.

Rupert Steele

Director of Regulation, ScottishPower

Biography

Rupert Steele is Director of Regulation at ScottishPower. He is responsible for working with Government and regulatory stakeholders to help find solutions which meet both the needs of the company and the public interest.

He reports directly to the Chief Executive and is a member of the Executive Team.

Rupert was appointed to this position on joining ScottishPower in April 2007. Prior to this, he ran a consultancy business (Energy Strategies Limited) that advised utility, City and Government clients on energy policy issues.

His earlier career included 16 years working on energy issues in the Department of Trade and Industry and three years at TXU Europe.

He was appointed OBE in 1992.

Duncan Dale

Head of UK Origination, Statkraft

Biography

Duncan Dale was employed by Statkraft in June 2009 to develop their trading and origination business in the UK. He previously worked on a series of energy start-up companies and brokered energy deals across Europe. Most of his career he worked with Powergen and TXU in project development, trading and risk management. He has a degree in Chemical Engineering and a MBA.

Robin Cohen

Partner – Economic Consulting, Deloitte

Biography

Robin is a partner in the Economic Consulting practice of Deloitte. He has 20 years consulting experience in economic regulation. In the UK he advised electricity and water companies through the privatisation process on the design of the new market and regulatory issues. He has also advised the Pool on the establishment of the UK’s New Electricity Trading Arrangements and conducted experimental modelling of the impact of NETA for Ofgem. More recently he advised regulators such as OFGEM, the UK energy regulator, and the Irish energy regulator on price setting, evaluating operating efficiencies and the opening up of markets to competition, and private sector companies entering newly liberalised gas and electricity markets on issues of regulatory accounting, strategy and asset values. He has advised the UK Government on market mechanisms to encourage CO2 abatement and on support for offshore wind turbines.

Internationally he has advised on the design of electricity market liberalisation/reform in India, Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Norway and California. This work has included the evaluation of market price formation, incentives for investment in new generation and the profitability of competing enterprises.

João Paulo Costeira

Chief Operating Officer - Europe, EDP Renováveis

Biography

From 2007 till now – EDP Renewables – Chief Operating Officer - Europe
EDP R is the world’s fourth largest wind operator (aprox. 6 GW of operating capacity) present in USA, Brasil and Europe (Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, Poland and Romania

– Full responsibility over Europe’s P&L.
– Member of EDP R Management Team
– Participated in the EDP R’s IPO Road show team
– Co-lead successful M&A operations in France an
– Operating Capacity – 2,9 GW
– Capacity under Construction – 0,7 GW
– Nº of Employees -312
– Annual Capex – 1,1 billion €
– Annual EBITDA (2008) -300M€
– Operations in Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, Poland and Romania

From 2006 to 2007 – EDP Gás, SGPS, SA – Executive Board Member for Natural Gas Distribution and Marketing (Portugal and Spain):

• 900.000 customers in Ibéria
• >2 bcm of Natural gas sold in regulated and liberalised market

From September 1998 to May 2006 – Galpenergia Group (Portugal’s National Oil & Gas Company).
Offices held in reverse chronological order
– Member of Galpgás Management Team (Natural Gas Business Unit)
– Managing Director of Lusitaniagás (Natural gas LDC)
– Member of GalpEmpresas Management Team (Wholesale Business Unit)
– Managing Director of Transgás Industria (Liberalized wholesale customers
– General manager of Lisboagás (Lisbon’s Natural gás LDC)

Mark Henderson

Head of Power & Renewables, Investec Bank

Biography

Investec is an international, specialist banking group listed in London and Johannesburg, that provides a diverse range of financial products and services in niche areas. In Project & Infrastructure Finance, Investec is one of the leading financial advisers and providers of subordinated and mezzanine finance, as well as providing senior project finance debt to selected clients.

Mark Henderson is responsible for Investec’s power and renewable energy sector investments in Europe. The team provides funding to projects, project developers and acquisitions in the European renewables sector and are direct equity investors in certain renewable projects and companies.

Mark has over 23 years’ banking experience. Before joining Investec in 2004, Mark was at Société Générale and, before then, Dresdner Kleinwort Benson

Kirsty Hamilton

Associate Fellow, RE Finance Project, Chatham House

Biography

Kirsty Hamilton leads the Renewable Energy Finance Project, as an Associate Fellow at Chatham House: creating stronger interaction between leading mainstream financiers and senior policy counterparts, to bring about a more effective ‘investment grade’ policy environment. She has 20 years experience of the international policy debate as an Observer at the UN climate change negotiations, and is on the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Sustainable Energy; the Advisory Board of UNEP Finance Initiative’s Climate Change Work; Steering Committee of ‘REN 21’ the international RE policy network; as well as an Expert Reviewer for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Kirsty is also a consultant in the above areas.

Sarah Harrison

Senior Partner, Sustainable Development, Ofgem

Biography

Sarah took on leadership of Ofgem’s new Sustainable Development Division in September 09. The Division was created as part of Ofgem’s restructuring the aim of which is to increase Ofgem’s role in helping to meet Britain’s targets to cut carbon emissions. The Division brings together Environmental, Social and Consumer policy. It will lead on smart metering policy as well as enforcement and better regulation.

From 2005 Sarah was Ofgem’s Managing Director of Corporate Affairs and before that she was Ofgem’s Communications Director.

From 1994 – 1999 Sarah was the first Director of ICSTIS, the UK industry regulator for premium rate telephone services. Sarah’s earlier career was in government and public relations consultancy.

Stephen Tindale

Co-Founder, Climate Answers

Biography

Stephen Tindale is a Climate and Energy Consultant and the co-founder of Climate Answers (www.climateanswers.info). Previous roles have included: Head of Communications and Public Affairs for RWE npower renewables; Executive Director of Greenpeace UK and Chairman of the Greenpeace European unit; adviser to Environment Minister Michael Meacher; founder of IPPR Environment Group; adviser to Shadow Environment Secretary Chris Smith.

Robert Upton

Deputy Chair, Infrastructure Planning Commission

Biography

Robert was a member of the Administrative Service of the Hong Kong Government from 1972-1991. His work included New Towns policy, Country Parks designation, infrastructure development and urban renewal. As Hong Kong’s first Director of Planning he sponsored major reform of the statutory planning system.

He was appointed Chief Executive of Rushmoor Borough Council in 1992. In 1996, he became Secretary General of the Royal Town Planning Institute. He initiated the RTPI’s New Vision programme promoting the practice of spatial planning, and the reform of the Institute’s education policy. He has served on numerous government task forces and sounding boards associated with the development of planning policy and practice.

Robert is also a Visiting Professor at Sheffield University, Department of Town and Regional Planning. He is an Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences, and a member of its Council. He was appointed CBE in the 2009 New Year’s Honours List.

Rob Hastings

Director of the Marine Estates, The Crown Estate

Biography

Rob Hastings is The Crown Estate’s Director of the Marine Estate. His career has included working in the Offshore Oil and Gas industry, followed by six years developing and managing projects and businesses in the UK wind energy industry, including as a director of Shell Wind Energy Limited and a Director of the British Wind Energy Association, Rob is a member of the UK Government’s Renewable Advisory Board (RAB) chaired by the Minister of Energy.

Martin Land

Power Sector Director, Costain

Biography

Martin is Power Sector Director for Costain, the UK based international company that offers solutions in Consultancy, Construction and Care across energy and infrastructure sectors. Martin leads the offers in power, across renewables, transmission and distribution, and conventional thermal generation including gas and coal.

The necessity for project delivery surety requires project leadership from clients and major contractors such as Costain to ensure that the engineering and procurement activities are integrated into value solutions for complex capital projects. Costain has demonstrated these attributes across many energy and infrastructure projects including iconic UK projects such as the Thames Barrier, St Pancras International Station and in the safety critical nuclear sector.

Martin joined Costain after a spell at EON, as Head of Development in Generation, with previous posts at Bechtel, Invensys Rail and Alstom. Martin has experience in renewable, nuclear and fossil projects both as client and supplier in UK, Europe and Asia.

Chris Train

Network Operations Director, National Grid

Biography

Chris Train is currently responsible for the real time operation of National Grid’s electricity and gas transmission networks in the UK, forward energy trading and balancing services, operational forecasting, planning and policy.

Chris Train has over 20 years experience within the energy and utility sector. Chris led the National Grid acquisitions of Keyspan and New England Gas in the north east US. These transactions followed the successful sale of half of National Grid’s UK gas distribution Networks.

In his early career Chris held a number of engineering regulation and commercial positions. Chris is a Chartered Engineer and a member of the Energy Institute, the Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers, and the Chartered Institute of Marketing. He has extensive experience operating in the commercial and regulatory environment in the UK, US and Europe.

Alan Michie

Transmission Policy Manager, SP Transmission and Distribution

Biography

With over 25 years experience in the electricity industry, Alan has been involved in various strategic electricity transmission construction projects, including upgrades to the Scotland-England Interconnector and the overhead line connection to the Moyle Interconnector. More recently, Alan was responsible for managing SPTL's commercial arrangements for the transition to BETTA and then as project manager on the last Transmission Price Control Review ('TPCR4'). In his current role as Transmission Policy Manager, Alan's responsibilities include the commercial interface with National Grid under the SO-TO Code, transmission regulatory arrangements with Ofgem, funding arrangements for key transmission reinforcement projects, and project managing the latest Transmission Price Control Reviews ('TPCR4 Rollover' for 2012/13 and 'TPCR5' from 2013/14).

Paul Thompson

Head of Policy, Renewable Energy Association

Biography

Paul Thompson became Head of Policy at the Renewable Energy Association (REA) in March 2010. Key recent work includes transport biofuels, biomass sustainability and renewable heat. Paul has also been heavily involved in developing the REA’s training courses for the Renewables Obligation, Feed-in Tariffs and the Renewable Heat Incentive. Before joining the REA in 2008 Paul was Parliamentary Researcher for Susan Kramer, MP, during which time she was Liberal Democrat spokesperson for both energy and transport.

Dr Pierre Dechamps

European Commission

Biography

Dr Pierre Dechamps holds an electro-mechanical engineering degree from Liège University, a Master of Science from Cranfield University and a PhD from Liège University.

He worked for 5 years as an assistant in Liège University, in the power generation department.

He then joined the industry, CMI, Cockerill Mechanical Industries, one of the world leading heat recovery boiler manufacturers for power stations, where he quickly became the Head of the R&D Engineering Department.

Since 1998, he worked for 10 years for the European Commission Directorate General for Research as project officer for clean coal technologies and later on for CO2 capture and sequestration.

In January 2008, he joined the Bureau of European Policy Advisers of President Barroso as the adviser for energy and climate change.

Peter Raftery

General Manager UK Offshore Wind, Seagreen Wind Energy

Biography

Peter Raftery’s professional experience in the renewable power sector spans nearly 2 decades – initially on small solar PV and thermal projects and then 15 years experience in wind power. This has included onshore wind farms at Garrad Hassan, and now offshore wind farms at SSE. Peter currently manages SSE’s UK offshore wind development pipeline, which includes involvement in over 15 GW of offshore wind capacity.

Martin McAdam

Chief Executive Officer, Aquamarine Power

Biography

Martin McAdam joined Aquamarine Power Ltd as its Chief Executive Officer in August 2008. Aquamarine is one of the world’s leading marine energy companies. Under Martin’s leadership, Aquamarine aims to be among the first to deliver large-scale commercial wave and tidal energy projects, helping governments to reach their targets for renewable energy generation, as well as tackling climate change on a global scale.

McAdam joins Aquamarine from wind farm developer and operator Airtricity where he was Chief Operating Officer. He founded Airtricity’s North American operations which were purchased in 2007 by Eon for £0.75 billion. Airtricity were acquired by Scottish and Southern Energy for £1.08 billion in February this year.

Martin holds a BE (Hons.) in Chemical Engineering, awarded in 1982 from University College Dublin and in spring 2004 completed the Advanced Management Program (AMP) at Harvard Business School. Martin is also a Chartered Engineer, a Member of the Institute of Engineers of Ireland and a Fellow of Engineers Ireland.

Chris Harris

Head of Retail Regulation, RWE npower

Biography

Chris Harris is the head of retail regulation at RWE npower, following a period as head of industry, networks and agreements. His background is in trading, consulting and asset management. He is a visiting professor in the Centre for Sustainable Power Distribution at the University of Bath.

Gearóid Lane

Managing Director, British Gas New Energy

Biography

Gearóid Lane directs the teams leading British Gas’ drive to offer microgeneration and energy efficiency products to households and businesses. He also leads British Gas' business activities providing energy services to public sector housing, and the Pay As You Go Energy business that retails energy to our prepayment customer base, with almost 2.5 million customers accounts.

Mr Lane is a Chartered Gas Engineer, holds a Master’s degree in Engineering Science and a First Class Honours primary degree in Mechanical Engineering from the National University of Ireland (University College Galway) and an MBA from Henley Management College.

He is a Director of the Energy Saving Trust and the Energy Retail Association and also served for several years as a member of the Renewables Advisory Board, an independent body sponsored by Department of Trade and Industry, which provides advice to Government on a wide range of renewable energy issues.

Dr Gerry Wolff

Co-ordinator, DESERTEC-UK

Biography

Gerry Wolff's career has been mainly in research and teaching in computing and cognitive science. He has had long-standing interests in environmental protection, focussing in recent years on what can be done to combat the threat of climate change. In 2001 he and his wife Marianne Jones set up a website about what ordinary householders can do to reduce their own direct emissions of CO2 (see www.mng.org.uk/gh/). This led on to an interest in clean energy and the huge potential of desert regions for the development of solar energy and wind power. Since 2006, he has been Coordinator of Desertec-UK, working to raise awareness of the Desertec concept in the UK and beyond (see www.desertec-uk.org.uk). He is also working with the Kyoto2 Support Group to raise awareness of the "Kyoto2" proposals for controlling emissions of greenhouse gases.