Event Summary
Energy and Power 2026 | Summary + gallery
Providing 50% of England’s renewable power and 40% of the UK’s electricity, the North is ready to write the nation’s next chapter in its energy future. To make that chapter as illustrious as it should be, Place North’s latest conference delved into the obstacles to be overcome, opportunities to be realised, and the work to be done.
Held at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester on 17 September, Energy and Power brought together developers, local authorities, power generators, engineers, planners, and more for a morning of discussion and debate.
The event was chaired by Place North West editor Julia Hatmaker and delivered in association with Cundall, Bethell, and Unify Energy.
Scroll down to the bottom of this story for a gallery from the event.
Expert speakers
- Jason Rockett, managing director of Potter Space
- Michael Pemberton, chief executive of BEC
- Sarah Bateman, chief executive of Unify Energy
- Tom Bell, strategy manager at the UK National Nuclear Laboratory
- Melissa Crellin, interim head of policy, partnerships, and public affairs at Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority
- Frances Murray, business development director for clean energy at Cavendish Nuclear
- Peter Rowe, senior development manager at Cubico Sustainable Developments
- Peter Ridge, director of power systems at Cundall
- Paul Taylor, external relations consultant for EnergyPathways
- Monica Mwanje, founder and managing director of Inclusion and Diversity in Nuclear
- Amy Longmore-Gaskell, associate director at Turley
The first panel featured Cundall’s Peter Ridge, Potter Space’s Jason Rockett, and Unify Energy’s Sarah Bateman. Credit: Place Media Group
Problems abound, but solutions can be found
Planning and the grid were highlighted as persistent problems, though panelists noted that recent government planning policy has been considerably favourable of energy infrastructure development.
Public perception around energy projects continues to be an issue, however, this is something companies are looking to resolve. Peter Rowe of Cubico spoke about how the company had taken on public feedback to adjust its plans for Scout Moor II, using the conference as a chance to announce its application submission.
Amy Longmore-Gaskell of Turley also emphasised the need for proper consultation and engagement – as well as making sure that when talking about the projects we mention more than just the amount of power generated, but also the jobs created or retained and the economic impact of the scheme.
How to make sure the benefit of nationally significant schemes are felt locally was a reoccurring theme. Michael Pemberton of social impact developer BEC spoke about the 200-acre Pioneer Park in West Cumbria, which will host multiple SMRs powering data centres that will in turn fuel district heat networks, shared how he has been approaching that issue.
“You start with the community and you work out from there, rather than do a development and work into the community,” he said. “What does it mean to a community to have Pioneer Park on its doorstep? Well it means jobs, it means prosperity, it means skills, it means adaptability, it means generational ambition.
“But more importantly than that, it also means that when the developer is tasked with delivering this proposition, there is a significant percentage that is given to the community in social investment.”
Regarding grid capacity, privately owned microgrids were floated as a possible solution.
“There is a massive opportunity and space for innovation to take what is available in terms of grid capacity and then what individuals can do privately from a microgrid perspective,” said Sarah Bateman of Unify Energy.
She argued for microgrids to be part of a wider energy solution, used in conjunction with grid connections to help deliver a power strategy.
Peter Ridge of Cundall was of similar mind, pushing for a broader energy strategy that looked beyond just immediate demand but considered whether or not the right technology is in the right locations to meet the right demands.
The second panel featured UKNNL’s Tom Bell, Cavendish’s Frances Murray, Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority’s Melissa Crellin, and Inclusion and Diversity in Nuclear’s Monica Mwanje. Credit: Place Media Group
More than just infrastructure
When it comes to the world of energy, it has much more to offer regional economies than just providing power through a plug socket.
Birchwood Park was highlighted as the heartbeat of the British nuclear programme, which was launched nearby 80 years ago. The park has the largest concentration of nuclear professionals in the country and is a research powerhouse for the industry.
Melissa Crellin of Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority made the case for Birchwood to secure national recognition, given that the nuclear industry is forecasted to grow by 49% in the UK by 2030 – with 40,000 jobs being required.
“Birchwood is there to provide the engineering, the research, and the delivery capability for making that work for the nation,” she said.
That expertise will be needed, according to Tom Bell of the UK National Nuclear Laboratory. Advancements are continually being made in nuclear and with new reactors in development, the rise of SMRs, next-generation technologies, and fleets of nuclear-powered submarines – it’s a field that goes beyond just decommissioning and will be producing jobs for decades to come.
To help the nuclear industry thrive, real investment needs to be given to growing skills, contended Monica Mwanje of Inclusion and Diversity in Nuclear.
The role of placemaking was also mentioned, with Birchwood Park’s active cultural calendar and aesthetic public realm cited as attractive for recruiting talent that otherwise might be lured into defence or tech sectors. Have an attractive place to work, located around transport and affordable housing, was highly valued.
What is more, places like Birchwood Park thrive because they were designed with collaboration in mind, the panelists said. Birchwood Park also focussed on delivering space for a field that had been developing in an area for some time – leaning into the strengths of the Warrington area when it came to nuclear expertise.
The final panel of the day featured BEC’s Michael Pemberton, EnergyPathways’ Paul Taylor, Turley’s Amy Longmore-Gaskell, and Cubico’s Peter Rowe. Credit: Place Media Group
Powering the future
Expect more nuclear SMRs in the future – that was the verdict of Frances Murray of Cavendish, who pointed out that Hartlepool was being considered for to be the next potential SMR hub after Wylfa.
EnergyPathways’ Paul Taylor told the audience about the company’s developing plans for MESH, long-term energy storage that will also generate hydrogen power and potentially produce synthetic graphite and clean ammonia. The project is being worked up by Barrow and, while still very much in its early phases, could help reduce dependency on foreign gas.
There’s no such thing as “waste” anymore, with Amy Longmore-Gaskell of Turley describing briefly the work being done converting waste into energy at Protos in Cheshire.
Space solar power was also mentioned as an intriguing emerging technology, as was tidal. As for what will be powering the UK in 2050 – the answer was clearly a mix, but an interesting one.
What’s next?
1 October – Place Party
15 October – Yorkshire Industrial & Logistics
20 October – Place RESI
5 November – Liverpool City Region Development Update
19 November – Life Sciences Update
2 December – Economic Forecast Lunch: The North in 2027
Gallery
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