RSSA - Keeping the UK's Lights, Hobs and Radiators on: The Challenges and Solutions for Energy and Electricity Systems in Transition

The UK is reliant on oil and gas for three quarters of our total energy needs. That inconvenient reality is not going to change anytime soon, and it will be costly and take time to transition away from our current dependency. The aim of the presentation is to review how the UK’s energy and electricity mix has changed over time and look at the challenges, solutions, options and trade-offs that need to be addressed if we are to wean ourselves off oil and gas.

John is Aberdeen University’s Interdisciplinary Director for Energy Transition, a post he took on in March 2022. His research interests focus upon the role of geoscience in the energy transition and use of technologies, methods and data in providing the best solutions and outcomes to deliver low-carbon net zero goals. John is the Chair of the National Energy Skills Accelerator (NESA), populates the UK Energy Minister’s Subsurface Task Force and was a member of the Scottish Science Advisory Council (SSAC), the leading independent advisory board for Scottish Government between 2018-22. John is a Past-President of the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE) in 2011-12. He was awarded EAGE’s Alfred Wegener Prize and the Lyell Medal from the Geological Society in 2016. An unusual fact is that John was an international soccer referee, who officiated in international (FIFA and UEFA) football and the Scottish Premier League between 1994-2008.