The Energy Sector: Collaboration key to power success
YORKSHIRE has the opportunity to become a world leader in the energy sector but greater collaboration between the public and private sectors will be key to the region achieving its potential, according to regional business leaders.
At a round table discussion held as part of TheBusinessDesk.com’s major new supplement on the energy sector, business leaders, academics, energy experts and advisers debated the major opportunities and challenges facing the Yorkshire region in order to become an energy industry leader.
In-depth analysis from the round table and other key issues the energy sector can be read in the supplement, in association with law firm Addleshaw Goddard, which is available to download from today.
The view around the table was that Yorkshire’s energy heritage set it in a good position to capitalise on opportunities but that there was still reluctance among many businesses to introduce more green working practices because of uncertainty on how it would benefit their bottom lines.
The discussion saw participants exchange views on how Yorkshire could capitalise on the development of renewables projects on the East Coast and the Humber, as well as offshore and in mainland Europe to become a supply chain hub.
And the creation of a Green Investment Bank was also seenas an opportunity to fund energy projects in the region.
Richard Goodfellow, partner and head of energy at Addleshaw Goddard, said: “Where are we in terms of energy? We’ve got the geography which plays to our advantage. We’ve got a lot of skill sets in Yorkshire such as financial services.
“We’ve got some leadership in the public sector which one might have said was absent previously. We’ve got some deal originators. But for me, given the size of this region, given all the advantages it’s got, given companies like Meadow Foods and Arla and everyone else, we could do more in Yorkshire.”
Participants in the round table included Leeds City Council chief executive Tom Riordan; Owen Michaelson, of UK Coal, John Lambert, commercial director of Meadow Foods; and Steve Brown, of CO2 Sense.
Other issues explored in the supplement include the issue of future energy needs; how Yorkshire is boosting its economic fortunes thanks to a number of energy projects; and the regulatory pressures on the sector.
