About

Who I Am

I am an energy infrastructure strategist, senior executive leader at a leading distributed power business, and the author of Five Nines and Fast Power.

I have worked in distributed energy for more than twenty years. Distributed energy means power generated at or near the site that uses it, rather than delivered from a central grid. My work covers combined heat and power (CHP), biogas, microgrids, and the primary and backup power systems that facilities with no tolerance for outages depend on.

I have worked on projects in Europe, North America, Africa, South Asia, and Australasia. The grids, regulators, and markets differ widely across those regions, and that range shapes how I approach problems.

What I work on

One question runs through my work. How do you build power infrastructure that is reliable from the first day, commercially viable for decades, has a credible route to lower emissions, and can adapt as markets, fuels, and regulation change?

The question is the same for a factory in Nigeria, a municipal waste plant in India, or a data center in the United States waiting years for a grid connection. Fuel prices, grid emissions, and regulation differ. The structure of the decision does not.

My current focus is data centers built for artificial intelligence (AI). A decade ago, onsite generation for data centers was a niche option and grid supply was assumed. Today, access to power sets the pace at which data centers get built. I write about how operators and investors can secure power quickly without locking in assets that cannot later be decarbonized. That work includes the Structured Transition Model, which I authored, and the other frameworks collected under The Logic of Power.

Career

I studied biology and then enterprise with environmental technology and innovation at the University of Manchester, and later completed an MBA at Manchester Business School. My early work was commercializing wastewater and waste treatment technologies.

In 2003 I founded Oaktech, a company that brought an Israeli waste treatment and biogas technology to the UK market, and served as its company secretary. That taught me that a working technology is a long way from a working infrastructure asset. Closing the gap takes engineering, policy, economics, and operations working together.

From 2006 to 2007 I was a senior consultant in the waste technology team at RPS Group, a UK engineering and environmental consultancy. I supported siting analysis for mechanical biological treatment (MBT) and energy from waste (EfW) facilities for the Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber. I also supported WRAP in developing the quality protocol for incinerator bottom ash, the residue from waste incineration that can be reused as construction aggregate, and in early work on the PAS 110 specification for digestate. I also worked on energy from waste projects for a major German energy company. That work showed me how standards, planning, and waste classification decide which infrastructure gets built, often before engineering or cost comes into it.

Since then my work has moved from anaerobic digestion and biogas to gas engine power plants, flexible generation, and hybrid systems that combine engines, batteries, and solar. It has included market-entry assessments and business plans for new countries in East Africa, the Asia-Pacific region, and the United States. It has also included taking the mechanical and electrical package for a major UK waste treatment facility, valued at about £47 million, to preferred bidder status.

I have worked through three changes of ownership in one business: a private equity investment, a sale to a strategic industrial owner, and a carve-out into an independent, private equity-owned company.

In 2018 I joined the UK Prime Minister's trade delegation to Africa. I have spoken at the United Nations climate change conferences COP23, COP24, and COP26. My work and commentary have appeared through the BBC, CNBC Africa, Infrastructure Investor, DatacenterDynamics, Microgrid Knowledge, and POWER. The full dated record is on the Press and Appearances page.

Governance and Advisory Roles

Good infrastructure depends on rigorous stewardship. Alongside my executive roles, I have served in statutory, charitable, and industry governance positions for over twenty years, shaping how I evaluate risk, board oversight, and long-term capital allocation.

• Industry Leadership: I serve as Vice President and Management Board member of the COGEN World Coalition, sit on the Council of the World Biogas Association, and contribute to the iMasons Climate Accord Power Working Group (leading sub-groups focused on behind-the-meter generation and international power dynamics). In 2009, I was also a founding member of the UK’s Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA).

• Commercial and Not-for-Profit Governance: Early in my career, serving as Company Secretary for an early-stage environmental tech business provided a firm grounding in statutory responsibilities. Later, as Trustee and Board Director for Call Plus (now Being There), I oversaw financial governance, strategic rebrand initiatives, and organizational continuity to support individuals facing life-limiting illnesses. Previously, I was also board member of the Decarbonised Gas Alliance (2021 to 2022) and of Knowsley Place, a regional inward investment body (2015 to 2020).

I have supported the UK government as an Export Champion since 2014 and was a founding member of Lord Redesdale’s Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (2009).

What This Site Is For

This site holds my analysis and a dated record of more than twenty years of work. It is written for investors, developers, operators, and policymakers making energy decisions with long consequences. The views here are my own.