Energising the North

Yesterday I visited KPMG’s offices in Leeds to showcase a report commissioned by Northern Gas Networks entitled Energising the North.

The report highlights opportunities for economic development in the North’s energy sector, and demonstrates that the North is a hotbed for energy innovation due to its unique geographical location and resources.

During the nineteenth century Britain emerged as a great industrial power and was viewed by many as the ‘Workshop of the World’. Even though this was over a hundred years ago the North remains key to the UK’s industrial future.

It was therefore a pleasure to form part of a panel alongside the Chief Executive of Northern Gas Networks Mark Horsley, the Chair of Leeds City Region LEP Roger Marsh, the UK Chairman of KPMG Power & Utilities Alistair Buchanan, and KPMG’s Director Power & Utilities Robert Hull. We discussed the role that the North of England, and specifically Yorkshire and the North East, has to play in the future of energy including the role of gas in delivering a sustainable and affordable fuel for the future.

You can see the opportunities for economic development right across the region – particularly in the energy sector as highlighted by the Energising the North report. It’s very clear that cities across the area must look to work together to take on the world as a Northern Energy Powerhouse.