Speaker Panel A-Z

Taking an Integrated Approach to Tackling Fuel Poverty

Pat Austin is Director of National Energy Action NI. She took up her post in June 2005. Previous to this she spent 10 years with Help the Aged where she also gained a professional qualification in Social Work. She managed Help the Aged's Advice Services and has worked across all sectors and departments within the social policy arena. Her background has provided a firm grounding in issues pertaining to poverty and health and well being.

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The SEM Experience: So Far

Alan Bissett is the lead Partner in Carson McDowell's Energy Department and has particular expertise in project development and finance, power purchase agreements, renewables, energy trading and dispute resolution. Carson McDowell's Energy Department comprises specialist lawyers with expertise in all areas of the electricity and gas industries. Since privatisation of the electricity industry in 1992, members of the Carson McDowell team have been involved in virtually every aspect of the development of the energy sector in Northern Ireland.

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Panel Discussion: Northern Ireland's Energy Future

Garrett Blaney is Strategic Development Director for Viridian Power and Energy, the non-regulated arm of Viridian group's energy businesses. Garrett is responsible for interfacing with regulators and policy makers on an all-island basis. Previously Garrett was the commercial director for the development and construction of Huntstown Power, Ireland's first independent generator. Garrett spent 8 years in ESB and 5 years with the CEGB, prior to joining Viridian, where he worked on a variety of power projects in Ireland and Asia.

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Panel Discussion: Northern Ireland's Energy Future

Bill Cargo held management positions in the UK gas industry from 1981, before becoming Engineering Director for Phoenix Natural Gas Limited from 1993 to 1999 during the introduction of natural gas to Northern Ireland. After working as Managing Director of Nile Valley Gas Company (Egypt), he became CEO of Premier Power Limited in 2001 during the construction of the new 600 MW CCGT. Joining Premier Transmission Limited prior to mutualisation, he became Managing Director in March 2005.

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MINISTERIAL ADDRESS: Northern Ireland Energy Policy Priorities

Nigel Dodds is the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, which includes responsibility for energy, a position he took up following the restoration of devolution in May 2007. He has been MLA for North Belfast since 1998, and was Minister for Social Development from 1999-2000. He has also been the MP for North Belfast since 2001. He has sat on Belfast City Council since 1985 and served as Lord Mayor of Belfast in 1988 and again in 1991. He has been DUP Party Secretary since 1993.

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Panel Discussion: Northern Ireland’s Energy Future

Mark Ennis is Director of Strategy and Public Policy for Airtricity. He has been a member of the Senior Airtricity Team for the past five years during which time he has also held the position of Chief Executive Officer for Airtricity's Supply and Trading business. Prior to joining Airtricity Mark was CEO of Boxmore International PLC. In 2000 Boxmore was acquired by Chesapeake Corporation a US Corporation were Mark was appointed Senior Vice President. Mark is a member and past Chairman of CBI Northern Ireland and is currently Chairman of the Management Leadership Network an organisation set up to promote leadership development in SMEs.

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Future Technologies for Power Generation

Greg Kelsall is Head of the Combustion Group at Alstom’s Technology Centre. This Group carries out a range of activities, including work in support of fuel flexible gas turbines, to burn fuels such as syngas and hydrogen. He formerly worked for British Coal in their Coal Research Establishment. He is also Industry Chairman of the UK Coal Research Forum and is the Alstom representative on the IEA Clean Coal UK Team.

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The SEM Experience: So Far

John Kettle has been a partner with Mason Hayes+Curran's commercial department since 1999, having qualified in Mason Hayes+Curran in 1996. His focus is on the areas of Irish and EU competition, energy, merger control, public procurement, telecommunications, broadcasting, and transport. John is a member of both the Law Society of Ireland, and the International Bar Association, where he sits on a committee which deals with international energy issues. He is also a contributor to numerous periodicals and journals, including Irish Law Times and Commercial Law Practitioner.

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SEM is Live!

Robin McCormick is the Transmission System Operator (TSO) for Northern Ireland (now known as SONI), responsible for the safe, secure and economic operation of the NI Transmission System. He is also responsible for developing and administering the NI Wholesale Electricity market and trading arrangements on the interconnectors with GB and RoI. Robin sits on the SEM Executive Board overseeing the design and implementation of the new all-island wholesale market. Prior to this Robin held a number of senior positions in NIE including Transmission Planning Manager and Regional Customer Services Manager.

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REGULATORY UPDATE: The Northern Ireland Energy Sector: Regulatory Priorities

Iain Osborne took up his position as Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation (NIAUR) in June 2007. He joined NIAUR from the European Commission's Directorate-General for Competition, where he worked on gas markets since 2004. Prior to that he was Director of Consumer Markets at Ofgem, the GB energy regulator. He has also worked for the Department of Trade and Industry and McKinsey & Company.

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EXPERT PERSPECTIVE: Keeping the Lights On: Towards Sustainable Electricity

Walt Patterson is Associate Fellow in the Energy, Environment and Development Programme at Chatham House in London. He has been writing, speaking and campaigning on energy and environment, energy systems, energy policy and electricity for nearly four decades. Walt Patterson On Energy www.waltpatterson.org is an online archive of his writing. His latest book is Keeping The Lights On: Towards Sustainable Electricity.

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Panel Discussion: Northern Ireland's Energy Future

Mark Prentice is General Manager for firmus energy, which is bringing natural gas to 10 towns in Northern Ireland along the North West and South-North pipelines. Mark has over 10 years experience in commercial management and new business set-up within blue-chip companies in GB and was formerly Commercial Manager for firmus with accountability for sales, marketing and regulatory affairs.

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The EU Emissions Trading Scheme: Update and Review

Margaret Read is a career civil servant currently leading on the use of auctioning in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. This covers developing the design of auctions for Phase II of the Scheme, where government will auction 7% of the cap, and future auctioning policy going forwards. She has previously worked on chemicals policy, international water and sanitation and international science policy.

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Accelerating Renewable Energy Development

Dan Sinton works within the Sustainable Energy section of the Energy Division at the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Investment. Prior to this Dan was Manager, Sustainable Development with Invest Northern Ireland where he managed a comprehensive programme of support within Invest NI to promote energy efficiency to industry and commerce in Northern Ireland. Dan is currently the Vice Chair of the Energy Institute in Northern Ireland.

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The Impact of Climate Change in Northern Ireland

John Sweeney is a Senior Lecturer in Geography at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth. Over the past 25 years he has served on several national and international bodies concerned with climate change and environmental management. He has published approximately 60 scientific papers, edited/co-authored 4 texts and is currently involved in researching the impacts of climate change in Ireland and in the production of climate scenarios for Ireland for mid and end century.

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Chairman: The Domestic Energy Sector Workshop

Noel Williams is the Head of the Energy Saving Trust (EST) in Northern Ireland. His remit is to maximise the effectiveness of EST's programmes and oversee its long-term strategy in Northern Ireland whilst addressing the damaging effects of climate change, reducing Northern Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions and tackling fuel poverty. EST(NI) maintains relationships with key NI partners such as Government Departments, NIE, Phoenix Natural Gas, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, the oil industry and local councils.

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