Eclipse Energy UK

Rick is Chairman of Eclipse Energy an innovative low carbon power generation company based in the UK, the company's major focus is the hybrid Ormonde project based in the East Irish Sea which combines offshore gas and wind power generation totalling 250 MW. In addition, Rick runs PiEnergy Ltd which provides consulting, executive search and management education services to the energy industry.

Rick has extensive experience in the international energy business at the senior management level across a wide range of activities and fuels. Until 2003 he was based in Boston, USA as Senior Vice President, Planning, Strategy and Investor Relations for InterGen, an international power company with over 16 GW of coal and gas fired power plants located in ten countries.

Prior to joining InterGen, Rick headed the Power Business within Shell Gas and Power, London and was the leader of the team that acquired 50% of InterGen from Bechtel in 1997. His career in Shell spanned over 25 years and included senior management positions in Shell Coal International, Shell Gas and Power and Shell International Trading. He spent over fourteen years in the coal business, ultimately responsible for the worldwide marketing of Shell’s coal portfolio.

While he was principally based in London, he also had assignments with Shell Coal South Africa and Shell Japan. Before joining Shell, he worked in the UK as an engineer for the South Western Electricity Board.

Rick holds an Honours Degree in Electrical Engineering and a Masters Degree in Business Studies.

Peter Stratford is Principal Consultant at BMT Cordah Ltd.  He joined BMT in 2005 and has been active in specification, design, analysis and development of various renewable energy projects, from major offshore wind farms to concept tidal energy devices. He previously worked in the R&D team of NEG-Micon / Vestas, developing wind turbine hub and pitch systems.

Prior to moving to the renewable energy field, Peter’s background is 9 years in the automobile industry at Ricardo Consulting Engineers, Saab and Ford.

OFFSHORE WIND - BIOGRAPHIES – PART 2

CHAIR: Michael Hay, Head of Offshore Renewables, BWEA

He is a graduate of Imperial College London with an MSc in Environmental Technology and Energy Policy where his research project was concerned with the potential role for UK regions in the development of a marine renewables industry. On completion of this work he joined the Renewables Innovation Review Team at the Department for Trade and Industry. This small external group assessed all renewable energy technologies, including wave and tidal stream, and advised Treasury on the allocation of funds in the Governments 2004 Comprehensive Spending Review. In February 2004 Mike joined BWEA in a new position that expanded its hugely successful wind mandate in order to champion the emerging wave and tidal stream energy sector. As well as co-ordinating the interests of BWEA’s 117 marine members Mike also leads the Associations offshore wind work, representing these industries in discussions with Government, offshore stakeholders and the media.

Iain Todd is a chartered engineer, who has worked in both the private sector and the Civil Service. He has held senior posts in the Health and Safety Executive, the Department of the Environment, and the Department of Trade and Industry, mostly on energy-related issues. Between 2002 and 2004, Iain was Director of Renewable Energy at the DTI. As such, he was responsible for the first two years of the Renewables Obligation, financial programmes of £300m, and initiatives to grow a UK renewables supply chain.

In June 2004 Iain returned to the private sector, and now works as a renewable energy consultant. Much of his time is given to his role as Renewables Champion to the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group. (AREG).

Iain is married, has three children, is a keen hill-walker and a piper in the Huntly Pipe Band.

Steve Clarke

With a mechanical engineering background, Steve joined the energy industry in 1999. Since that time he has been responsible for developing and delivering the UK’s only joint venture in large scale multi-megawatt wind turbine technology, REpower UK Ltd. and then as Sales Director, helped deliver a prolific market entry with orders for 64 machines in eight locations in just over two years. A founder director & former Chairman of Renewables East, Steve’s experience, knowledge and enthusiasm is now being used by Renewables East on a full time basis to drive forward the offshore renewable agenda around the East of England & East Midlands..

John Best, Chief Executive, EEEGR - John Best has led the development of EEEGR as its Chief Executive, since 1 st April 2001, moving from the Enterprise Partnership, which collaboratively represented Business Link, Chamber of Commerce, and Training Enterprise Council (TEC) with a specific focus on bringing wider recognition to the offshore industry. This work led to the formation of the East of England Energy Group (EEEGR).

John’s career path to date could be summed up with the phrase “challenge and change – delivered in a positive and enthusiastic way”. Leaving school in 1971 at 16 with ‘O’ levels, John trained as a navigator, traveling the world over the next eight years with Bibby Line, qualifying as a First Officer – Foreign Going. After a period of self employment in November 1980, John’s involvement with the offshore oil and gas industry began in supply chain as a chartering clerk with Wimpey Marine. Over the next six years he was promoted to Marine Manager, with responsibility for deck operations on the vessels.

In 1987, John returned to college and studied accountancy. He left college planning to complete his studies while working in a small professional practice in Norwich, but in the early 1990’s he joined Wimpey Waste – which became UK Waste. Over the next nine years he rose to become General Manager – UK for the Industrial Services Division. He joined the Enterprise Partnership, and among his tasks helped develop the East Anglian Business and Environment Club (EABEC), which was founded with the UEA in 1993; working with schools to help raise students’ ambition through mentoring, education business partnership and Young Enterprise. He also served locally for three years as a crew member with the RNLI.

Most recently he has taken on the role of Chairman with The Beach Radio, was appointed to represent the region on the Regional Group of the Sustainable Energy Policy Network, joined the Management Board of Cred (Carbon Reduction) and was nominated Energy Champion for i10, a network of the ten regional universities.

Richard Best MBA has enjoyed a varied career to date, working in the private sector initially trained and qualified Architectural Technician, then turned poacher as Surveyor and Buyer working for speculative construction companies. Transferred to Local Government in 1971 joining Waveney District Council to manage their Operations Team including the Housing, Building and Highway divisions. Qualified to MBA level now managing corporate policy team within the Authority with a number of additional projects - project managing implementation of Single Status, programme manager of the capacity building development and lead officer for the University Campus Suffolk project. I have also represented WDC on the POWER project for the last two years, working across Europe and the East of England with our European partners and linking this project with other Waveney regeneration projects and initiatives.

OFFSHORE WIND – BIOGRAPHIES - PART 3

Allan MacAskill was educated at Linlithgow Academy, Heriot Watt and Edinburgh University. He graduated with and Honours degree in Mathematics. On completing his studies he joined the Oil Industry, initially with BP. He remained with the BP group for nearly 20 years undertaking a variety of roles in petroleum and reservoir engineering in the UK and North America.

In 1998 he joined Talisman Energy as Subsurface Manager for their UK operations. Since joining Talisman he has undertaken a number of subsurface and project management roles. More recently he has been responsible for the Beatrice redevelopment in 2001/2 and the Beatrice Windfarm Demonstrator project. The latter is the largest European Research and development programme in Wind Energy and Talisman’s first venture into renewables.