ecoConnect's Green in the City Forum: where cleantech industry, investment and services meet.
Bringing together top funding executives, entrepreneurs, leading innovators and opinion leaders - key people driving the development of green industry policy, technologies and investment in this rapidly expanding market.
Our September Forum: nuclear and cleantech - compatible?
In a power hungry but environmentally focused world, is nuclear power a legitimate, investment-worthy “cleantech” source of electricity?
Moderated by Dr. Keith MacLean Policy and Research Director at SSE
Panelists include:
Hergen Haye Head of New Nuclear at DECC
Tom Burke Founding Director of E3G
Stephen Vaughan Managing Director at Rothschild Utilities Advisory Practice
Paul Spence Director of Strategy and Regulation at EDF
The panel session and Q&A will address topics such as:* Why does England continue to back nuclear when Scotland and Germany does not?
* Does the nuclear power industry deserve to ride the “cleantech” band-wagon as a source of carbon-free power?
* Could 'next-generation’ nuclear, such as Thorium, Travelling Wave or Fusion Reactors, be viable alternatives?
* How might future nuclear facilities be financed? Can the private sector do it all?
* How does the Electricity Market Reform (EMR) compare and contrast nuclear vs renewables with respect to market, construction and finance risk? Uniquely positioned in the industry, with top tier speakers and executive networking in an unparalleled atmosphere, Green in the City is amust-attend event for all participants in the cleantech sector and those interested in following its trends.
The events at the Fukushima Daiichi power station in Japan has put the spotlight back on nuclear energy. Considerable focus has been on the economic issues surrounding nuclear power but that is not the only question worthy of debate. We would ask: is nuclear power a legitimate “cleantech” source of electricity?A recent report from the Economist Intelligence Unit shows an global increase in nuclear power despite the Fukushima disaster. 8 out of the world’s 10 top nuclear countries will expand nuclear power with China expanding nuclear power development by over 500%. Here in the UK, the Government gave the go-ahead last October for a new generation of up to 8 nuclear power stations to be built. But the Scottish Government, however, with the backing of the Scottish Parliament, has made it clear that Scotland will have no new nuclear power stations, aiming instead for a non-nuclear future. A sentiment shared by Germany.
It's clear that nuclear power has its risks. There is the problem of how to safely and securely dispose of spent fuel and other radioactive material. And then there arethose frightening accidents: like Three Mile Island and Chernobyl before it, the harrowing scene at the Fukushima facility has struck fearin our collective conscience, spotlighting the high-impact nature of nuclear accidents.
Advocates argue that the Fukushima plant actually held up quite well in light of the devastating magnitude of the earthquake and tsunami. They say that lessons learned will only make the rest of the industry safer. Many perceive nuclear power as economically and environmentally robust: according to the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), no other source of electricity provides the combined benefits of large amounts of reliable electricity, long-term price stability, and no greenhouse gas emissions. Even former anti-nuclear advocates, eg. Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore, now publicly state that nuclear energy is the only non-greenhouse-gas-emitting power source that can effectively replace fossils fuels and satisfy global demand. Whether it’s justified or not, this type of spectacular accident seems to strike more fear in the human psyche than the comparatively slow, but equally well-known, environmental impacts of alternative activities such as burning coal. As the NEI stated in a recent press release, the nuclear power industry operates “in an environment where the penalties for mistakes are high and where credibility and public confidence, once lost, are difficult to recover." WHO ATTENDS? INDUSTRY LEADERS AND INFLUENCERSo Entrepreneurs and Innovators: Connect with investors, sources of support and companies seeking solutions.o Corporations and CSR Executives: Meet emerging technology companies and find partners. o Institutional, Private Equity and VC Investors: Evaluate new investment opportunities.o Public Officials/Political Leaders: Engage and contribute with key policy-affecting issues.o Local Authorities: Promote your area’s benefits and incentive programs to attract cleantech businesses. o Law, accountancy, project management firms: Find future cleantech clients.o NGOs and Environmental Trade Associations: Add your voice to the dialogue.o Specialist Media: Hear the issues and stories shaping this exciting industry.
Green in the City forum and executive networking evening
