Energy Industries Club

==Background==
The Energy Industries Club (EIC) is an energy industry body. 
Its website says that members meet over eight lunches a year, at the Naval and Military Club in St James Square, London. It says that a "high profile guest speaker provides a brief presentation and opportunity for lively discussion" about "current and future challenges affecting the energy industry".Location, Energy Industries Club website, undated, accessed 3 November 2012About, Energy Industries Club website, undated, accessed 3 November 2012
==Playing down Fukushima==
In July 2011, four months after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Vincent de Rivaz, CEO of EDF Energy made a speech to the EIC in which he asked "what impact has Fukushima had? Has it fundamentally altered the process?" He continued: "The answer is no." 
He said that the "new nuclear programme in the UK should not be subject to unnecessary delay". He thanked the Energy Minister Charles Hendry, who was also at the meeting. He said: "Charles is held in high regard throughout the industry. I would like to thank him and his colleagues across Government for the leadership they have demonstrated in recent months".Vincent de Rivaz, NUCLEAR NEW BUILD 2011 - The road to Final Investment Decisions, EDF, 5 July 2011
==Current committee==
The following people are listed on the Club’s website: Committee, Energy Industries Club website, undated, accessed 3 November 2012
===President===
*Mike Rolls, Director of Business Development and Government Affairs at Siemens Energy Sector; formerly Sales Director at Alstom PowerLinkedIn entry for Mike Rolls, LinkedIn website, undated, accessed 3 November 2012
===Past presidents===
*Louise Kingham
*Dr Jeff Chapman
*William Fortescue
*Dr Robert Hawley 
*David Jefferies 
*Michael Lodge
*David Porter, CEO of Association of Electricity ProducersDavid Porter, www.newenergyeconomy.co.uk, accessed 3 November 2012
*Dr Alf Roberts
===Secretary/Treasurer===
*Steve Blackwell
===Members===
*David Green 
*John Ingham
*Robert Lane, a lawyer who has advised nuclear companiesRobert Lane, CMS Cameron McKenna website, undated, accessed 3 November 2012 
*Chris Murray
*Lawrence Slade, Chief Operating Officer of Energy UKAbout UK Energy's staff, UK Energy website, undated, accessed 3 November 2012
*David Smith, Chief Executive of the Energy Networks AssociationENA staff, ENA website, undated, accessed 3 November 2012
*Graham Ward, vice chairman of the World Energy CouncilAbout WEC, WEC website, undated, accessed 3 November 2012
===Members not listed on EIC's website===
Not all members are listed on the website. Others include:
*Brendan BiltonBrendan Bilton to speak at Investing in Fuel Cells, Cleantech Investor, 27 September 2012
*Roderick AxellRoderick Axell, LinkedIn, undated, accessed 3 November 2012
*Roger SargologoRoger Sargologo, Chambers and Partners website, undated, accessed 3 November 2012
==Guest speakers==
In 2012 and 2013, guest speakers included:Luncheon Dates, Energy Industries Club website, undated, accessed 3 November 2012
*Tim Yeo MP, Chairman, DECC Select Committee
*Geoffrey Spence, CEO, Infrastructure UK
*Ed Davey MP, Secretary of State, Energy and Climate Change
*Tony Cocker, CEO, E.ON UK
*Basil Scarsella, CEO, UK Power Networks
*Ian Marchant, CEO, Scottish & Southern Energy
*Graham van’t Hoff, Chairman, Shell UK
== Historical==
=== Guest speakers ===
In 2005/6, guest speakers included:The Energy Industries Club, Programme 2005/2006
*Rt Hon Oliver Letwin MP
*Vincent de Rivaz, CEO, EDF Energy
*Rt Hon Malcolm Wicks MP, Energy Minister
*Alistair Buchanan, CEO, Ofgem
*James Smith, Chairman Shell UK
*Bill Coley, CEO, British Energy
*Andreas Nauen, President, Siemens Wind, Denmark
===Pro-nuclear lobbying===
On March 15, 2005, the club organized a gathering of UK's top opinion formers to hear a speech by Mike Alexander, the Chief Executive of British Energy entitled "UK Nuclear Energy: fuel of the future?"Mike Alexander, CEO, British Energy Group plc, UK Nuclear Energy – Fuel of the Future?, accessed 11 Jan 2010
An article by Jonathan Leake and Dan Box in the New Statesman said that this was part of a "nuclear charm offensive" by the industry. 
The article described how the EIC had invited "more than a hundred leading figures from the UK's energy industry" to hear the speech. "Around the room were a selection of... analysts, corporate traders and members of the media. The journalists could not report the event directly - the invitations were based on so-called Chatham House rules, meaning it was for "background use only". What they were meant to take home was a message: nuclear power is coming back."Jonathan Leake, The nuclear charm offensive, New Statesman, 23 May 2005, accessed 11 Jan 2010
==='Why we should go nuclear'===
In December 2006, Bernard Ingham, Secretary of the Supporters of Nuclear Energy was the guest speaker. His talk, entitled 'Energy Policy Made By Idiots', attacked renewable energy and explained "we should go nuclear".Bernard Ingham, Energy Policy Made By Idiots, SONE website, 12 December 2006
==='The role of nuclear in future energy supplies'===
In June 2006, Bill Coley, Chief Executive of British Energy gave a speech to the EIC entitled: 'The role of nuclear in future energy supplies'. His conclusion was: "Nuclear power already contributes to the UK’s climate change and security of supply and, given the opportunity, can continue to do so for many decades to come. The next few weeks and months are crucial for the future energy policy, for the UK, our sector and the nuclear industry. And it will have a major impact of the lives of future generations. So it is important that we all make the most of this opportunity, for their own good as well as our own." Bill Coley, The role of Nuclear in Future Energy Supplies, British Energy website, 6 June 2006
===Allegation of secrecy===
The New Statesman article claimed that the EIC "keeps its membership secret". It was published in May 2005, almost seven years before the club set up its website.Domain registration information for www.eicuk.org, GoDaddy website, undated, accessed 3 November 2012
===A complaint and request to remove from the site===
NuclearSpin created a page about the EIC in 2006 that used the New Statesman article as source material. 
It subsequently received a request from the EIC to remove its listing from the website. The EIC's Secretary and Treasurer, Steve Blackwell, said that the article was “garbage”. He argued that it "tried to imply that the Energy Industries Club is some sort of ‘secret society’ supporting nuclear". He added: "It is nothing of the sort - purely one where people with an interest in energy meet over lunch with high level speakers from across the sector. Some members used to work in the sector and remain members even though they are retired. We have former Chairmen of the major energy companies who still attend occasionally”.
Blackwell pointed out that the meeting to which Dan Box was invited was conducted under Chatham House rules (which the article itself said) and therefore should not have been reported. He also said that the membership list was not secret as such; it was just never given out to protect members.
Although the EIC said it is neither pro nor anti-nuclear, it has pro-nuclear members. Blackwell, who has a history of working in the gas industry, argued that although he has no axe to grind either way on nuclear, but said: "if we are going to have to reduce carbon dioxide emissions then as Britain’s ageing nuclear power plants are decommissioned they are going to have to be replaced by new nuclear power plants."
==='Meetings are private'===
The EIC's website states: "To facilitate free discussion, meetings are private with no reporting of the proceedings."About, Energy Industries Club website, undated, accessed 3 November 2012
==Related articles==
Jonathan Leake and Dan Box, The Nuclear Charm Offensive, New Statesman, May 23, 2005
==Website==
www.eicuk.org
==Resources==
Category:Pro-nuclear organisations
Category:Nuclear Spin
Category:Fracking