The Micropower Council yesterday (2 December 2004) unanimously elected Baroness Diana Maddock to be its President from 1 January 2005, and announced the appointments of Bryan Gray as Vice-President and Dave Sowden as Chief Executive.

Lord Ezra, the Council’s founder and outgoing Chairman, has decided to step down at the end of the year. He has accepted an invitation to become the Council’s Patron in recognition and honour of his substantial contribution to its work.

The Council’s main purpose is to promote the small-scale production of sustainable heat and electricity, typically in households. Micropower technologies can contribute substantially to the government’s climate change targets and reduce energy costs.

The Council, now formally established with effect from 1 January 2005, was provisionally set up in April 2004 to continue and widen the work undertaken by Micropower Ltd established in 2000 by Lord Ezra, who has acted as Chairman of the Council during 2004. Comprising corporate members, trade bodies and professional institutions, the Council represents all the main interests in microgeneration. It has engaged successfully with government on the development of a microgeneration strategy, to which the government is legally committed under the Energy Act 2004, as a result of an amendment moved in the House of Lords by Lord Ezra.

Lady Maddock successfully piloted the Home Energy Conservation Act through Parliament in 1995. She has been a life peer since 1997 and speaks on housing and energy with which she has many close links. Commenting on her appointment she said

"I hope I’ll be able to follow up on so much good work that Derek (Lord Ezra) has done over a long period in this field. I have been campaigning in the field of efficient use of energy for a number of years and I think it’s important to enable individuals to take action in their own households and use energy efficiently. Given the prominence of climate change today, microgeneration has an important role to play in the future, particularly in helping to raise consumers’ awareness of the impact of their own energy use on climate change."

Bryan Gray, who is currently Chairman of the Northwest Regional Development Agency and Chairman of Baxi Technologies Group, said

"There is no doubt that microgeneration will play an important part in the future energy policy of the UK. The Energy Bill's commitment to develop a microgeneration strategy provides an excellent opportunity to influence the way in which microgeneration will develop over the next few years. I look forward to working with Baroness Maddock and other colleagues on the Micropower Council to help shape this important policy area."

Lord Ezra, on relinquishing the chairmanship of the Council, said

"It has been a pleasure to be able to serve the microgeneration sector for the past four years - an exciting, innovative new sector which I am confident will play a significant role in helping to meet our energy policy objectives in the future. I am pleased to be handing over to such a capable new President, Diana Maddock, and will be watching with interest how the government’s Microgeneration Strategy develops, to which I hope the Micropower Council will make a major contribution."

Dave Sowden, appointed yesterday as the Council’s Chief Executive, said

"Lord Ezra has made an outstanding contribution to the energy industry across a highly distinguished career that spans over half a century. Our association with him as the founding Director of Micropower Ltd has been but a brief chapter, but no less impressive. Under his stewardship, and thanks to his vision, leadership and tenacity, the microgeneration industry has experienced a number of significant regulatory and public policy changes, including a legal duty on the government to develop and implement a strategy for the microgeneration sector and the very existence of the Micropower Council.

We are delighted to welcome Lady Maddock as our new President. She has a highly distinguished track record in campaigning on household sector issues for Sustainable Energy and Fuel Poverty Relief. As a Member of Parliament for Christchurch, she successfully sponsored the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995; has campaigned tirelessly on fuel poverty issues as a Vice President of National Energy Action and, only last month, was a key influence on the introduction into the Housing Bill of a statutory target for domestic energy efficiency improvements. She commands great respect in the industry, and her standing and track record will be important in the coming year and beyond, as we seek to influence the content of the government’s forthcoming Microgeneration Strategy."

Ends

Notes to Editors

1. The Micropower Council’s overall aim is to research and promote microgeneration and to provide a respected and authoritative point of contact for Government, regulators, opinion formers, and the general public on the subject of microgeneration

2. The Micropower Council represents the collective interests of companies and Trade Associations with interests in sustainable heat and power production technology for homes and small businesses, including photovoltaics, micro-wind, micro-hydro, fuel cells, organic rankine cycle engines, Stirling engines, gas engines, solar thermal heaters, ground source heat pumps and biomass heating.

3. The Corporate Members of the Micropower Council are Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells, Windsave, Disenco, BG Group, Powergen, Whisper Tech, and Baxi Technologies. Other members are awaiting confirmation.

4. In addition to Corporate Members with direct commercial interest in microgeneration, the Micropower Council also includes the Renewable Power Association, the Combined Heat and Power Association, the Society of British Gas Industries / Heating & Hot Water Information Council, the Energy Saving Trust, the Association for the Conservation of Energy, the Association of Electricity Producers, Green Alliance, National Energy Action, the British Wind Energy Association, and the Institutions of Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

5. The Micropower Council has evolved from Micropower Ltd, a company formed in 2000 by Lord Ezra to bring together leading companies with a common interest in developing the small-scale generation of electricity.

6. Dave Sowden is also Director of the DTI / Ofgem Distributed Generation Technical Steering Group’s Microgeneration Workstream. For media enquiries, please contact: Suzanna Hammond Hammond PR Egginton House 25-28 Buckingham Gate London SW1E 6LD Telephone: 020 7630 6633 Email: suzanna@hammondpr.co.uk