After 11 years at the head of the East of England Energy Group (EEEGR), founder John Best is standing down.
As the hunt is on for a successor to head EEEGR, outgoing chief executive and founder Mr Best has reflected on his time at the head of the organisation.
He said the biggest achievement for the group was simply being there as a strong, independent, business-driven membership organisation.
His said over the years he had seen great changes in the energy sector.
“When we started EEEGR, the UK was producing 100% of its own natural gas,” he said. “Today it is around about 60%.”
Yet, he said, the gas industry still accounts for about 90% of the value in the supply chain.
“New uses for depleted reservoirs are on the horizon in the form of gas storage and carbon capture and storage,” he said.
He added: “The offshore wind industry is moving into industrial scale delivery. A new nuclear power station will be built at Sizewell C, whilst Bradwell and Sizewell A are closed and in decommissioning.”
He also added that the impact of climate change had seen a significant ramp up in attention, yet reductions in outputs and demands for energy have been impacted more by the economic downturn rather than mitigation measures.
“Perhaps the most significant change is a better understanding of the need for a balanced mix of generation as we move towards secure, sustainable, affordable and lower carbon energy for the future.
“And the East of England with its natural, built and about to be built assets is perfectly positioned to deliver this for UK plc,” he said.
Mr Best will be standing down in April to take up the post of head of sustainable energy UK at Fendercare.
As a founding member of the former East Anglian Business Environment Club (EABEC) in 1993 he looked at business opportunities in southern North Sea gas platform decommissioning.
He was also area manager for UK Waste and helped to organise a conference in autumn 1996 looking at why this area should get the work. From there Great Yarmouth Recommissioning Partnership (GYRP) was born and that became EEEGR.
On April 1, 2001 when it opened for business it had one employee – John Best – and no members.
Mr Best leaves EEEGR with an executive of seven staff, reporting to a board, hosting a shared regional inward investment director for the Norfolk and Suffolk Energy Alliance and representing 360 members.
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