Dr Nick Eyre is a Jackson Senior Research Fellow in Energy at the ECI and Oriel College. He also leads the ECI programme on Lower Carbon Futures. He is a Co-Director of the multi-university collaboration, the UK Energy Research Centre, leading its research work on energy demand. He teaches on option on energy policy on the Environmental Change and Management MSc course.

Nick has worked as a researcher, consultant and manager on energy and environmental issues since 1984. His interests focus on energy policy, especially with respect to energy demand, energy efficiency and small scale conversion and supply. He has published extensively on energy, climate, environment and transport issues. He is co-author of a book on carbon markets.

Nick worked at the Energy Saving Trust from 1999 to 2007, initially as Head of Policy and, from 2002, as Director of Strategy. He was responsible for the Trust's work on public policy issues, business development and long term business strategy. In 2001, he was seconded to the Cabinet Office, Performance and Innovation Unit, where he was a co-author of the Government's Review of Energy Policy. He led work streams on energy efficiency and long term energy scenarios.

Previously, Nick worked as a researcher and analyst on energy and environment issues, initially in the Energy Technology Support Unit (ETSU) and then as an independent consultant. He was one of the UK's first researchers on mitigation of carbon emissions, and was co-author of a presentation to the Cabinet on this issue in 1989. In 1997, he wrote the first published study on how the Government's 20% carbon emission reduction target might be delivered. He has advised successive Government ministers and a wide range of Parliamentary inquiries. He managed a large European Commission programme on the external costs of energy and was lead author of the report used as the basis for the UK Government's first estimate of the social cost of carbon.

Nick holds an MA in Physics and D.Phil in Nuclear Physics from the University of Oxford. He is a Fellow of the Energy Institute and an Honorary Fellow of the Society for the Environment.

He was a County Councillor in Oxfordshire from 1987 to 1993, taking an active role in the development of Oxfordshire's first environmental strategy, traffic calming, CFC capture and opposition to new road building.

Research Interests

Nick's long term research interest is the role of public policy in reducing energy demand and improving energy efficiency, in the context that progress will require a combination of technical, social and policy change. His current research interests cover:

• Energy demand in energy market reform
• Market based instruments for energy efficiency
• Energy demand in the transition to a low carbon society
• The role of local government, trade groups and local communities in energy
• The interaction energy systems with other components of infrastructure.

Research Projects

Current research grants are:

NERC, NE/G007748/1, UK Energy Research Centre (Co-Director Energy Demand), May 2009- April 2014.

EPSRC, EP/G031681/1, Supergen Highly Distributed Power Systems (Co-I), October 2009 - September 2013.

ESRC, ES/H001174/1 Geographies of Energy Transition Seminar Series (Co-I), October 2009- September 2011.

NERC, NE/H013598/1, Understanding Local and Community Governance of Energy (UNLOC) (acting PI), April 2010 - March 2012.

EPSRC, EP/H051163/1, Building expertise: A System of Professions Approach to Low Carbon Housing Refurbishment, September 2010 - August 2013.

ESRC, ES/I006664/1, Evaluating the impacts, effectiveness and success of DECC-funded low carbon communities on localised energy behaviours (EVALOC) (Co-I), January 2011 - December 2013.

EPSRC, EP/I01344X/1. href="http://itrc.org.uk/home/" title="Go to website">UK Infrastructure Transitions Research Consortium (Co-I), January 2011 - December 2015.

NERC, NE/I006818/1, Industrial Energy Use from a Bottom Up Perspective (Co-I), April 2011 - March 2013.

External Appointments

2002 - 2003: DTI/Ofgem Embedded Generation Working Group

2003 - 2004: DTI/ Ofgem/Defra Energy Services Working Group

2004 - 2008: Board member, European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy

2005: Defra/Treasury Energy Efficiency Innovation Review Steering Group

2007 - 2011: Advisory Group, ESRC Centre on Research on Livestyles, Behaviour and Environment

2007 - 2008: Expert advisor, National Audit Office study on energy efficiency

2008 - 2009: Selection Panel, Micropower Council Annual Award

2008 - to date: Advisory Committee, European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy

2008 - 2010: Trustee, Pilkington Energy Efficiency Trust

2008 - 2009: Task Force on Energy Efficiency and Urban Development, China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development

2008 - 2011: Lead author, Knowledge Module (Buildings), Global Energy Assessment

2010 - to date: UK Green Energy Supply Certification Scheme Panel member

2010 - to date: Lead Author: 'Buildings' Working Group III, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 5th Assessment Report

Recent Publications

• Willis, R. and Eyre, N. (2011) Demanding less: why we need a new politics of energy. Report for the Green Alliance.
• Eyre, N. (2011) Demand reduction and low carbon supply – friends or enemies? Proceedings of ‘People and Energy’, Oxford September 2011.
• Urge-Vorsatz, D. et al (2011) Knowledge Module 10: Energy End Use: Buildings, in Global Energy Assessment. International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis. In press.
• Bergman, N. and N. Eyre (2011) What role for micro-generation in a shift to a low carbon domestic energy sector in the UK? Energy Efficiency. DOI: 10.1007/s12053-011-9107-9
• Eyre, N. (2011) Energy Demand, Governance and Scale, in Low-Carbon Futures: contending geographies of distribution and centralisation. Geographies of Energy Transition: Security, Climate, and Governance Seminar 4, Oxford.
• Anable, J., Brand, C., Tran, M. and Eyre, N. (2011) Modelling transport energy demand: a socio-technical approach. Energy Policy Special Edition 'Modelling Energy Demand in Transport'. In press
• Eyre, N., Anable, J., Brand, C., Layberry, R. and Strachan, N. (2010) The way we live from now on: lifestyle and energy consumption. Chapter 9 in, Skea, J., Ekins, P. and M. Winskel (eds.) Energy 2050 - Making the Transition to a Secure Low Carbon Energy System. Earthscan, ISBN 9781849710848.
• Eyre, N., Flanagan, B. and Double, K. (2010) Engaging people in saving energy on a large scale: lessons from the programmes of the Energy Saving Trust in the UK. In, Whitmarsh, L., O'Neill, S. and Lorenzoni, I. (2010) Engaging the Public with Climate Change: Behaviour Change and Communication. Earthscan. 288 pp. ISBN 9781844079285.
• Parag, Y. and Eyre, N. (2010) Barriers to personal carbon trading in the policy arena. Climate Policy, 10(4): 353-368.
• Eyre, N. (2010) Policing carbon: design and enforcement options for personal carbon trading. Climate Policy, 10(4): 432-446.
• Jiang, Y. et al. (including, Eyre, N.) (2009) Energy efficiency and urban development (the building sector and the transport sector). CCICED Policy Research Report. CCICED 2009 Annual General Meeting. Nov 11-13, 2009.
• Eyre, N., Pavan, M. and Bodineau, L. (2009) Energy company obligations to save energy in Italy, the UK and France: what have we learnt? European Council for an Energy Efficiency Economy Summer Study, 1 - 6 June 2009, La Colle sur Loup, France.
• Eyre, N. (2008) Regulation of energy suppliers to save energy - lessons from the UK debate. In, Proceedings of the British Institute of Energy Economics Conference September 2008. BIEE, 2008.

Other Selected Publications

• HM Treasury et al (Eyre, N., contributor) (2005) Energy efficiency innovation review. Defra and HM Treasury, 2005.
• Eyre, N. and Staniaszek, D. (2005) Energy efficiency in the UK Energy White Paper - How did it get a central role? In, Proceedings of the European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy Conference, 2005.
• Energy Saving Trust (Eyre, N., co-author) (2005) The potential for microgeneration. Department of Trade and Industry, 2005.
• Eyre, N. (2004) Micro-CHP, energy services and smart metering - technological innovation and systemic change. In, Micro Energy Systems. Institute of Mechanical Engineering.
• Vine, E., Hamrin, J., Eyre, N., Crossley, D., Maloney, M. and Watt, G. (2003) Public policy analysis of energy efficiency and load management in changing electricity businesses. Energy Policy, 31(5): 405-430.
• Eyre, N. (co-author) (2002) The Energy Review. Performance and Innovation Unit, Cabinet Office.
• Vine, E., Hamrin, J., Eyre, N., Crossley, D., Maloney, M. and Watt, G. (2002) Energy efficiency and load management in changing electricity businesses. In, Proceedings of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy Conference, 2002.
• Eyre, N., Fergusson, M. and Mills, R. (2002) Fuelling road transport - implications for energy policy. Energy Saving Trust, Institute of European Environment Policy and National Society for Clean Air report to the Department for Transport, 2002.
• Eyre, N. (2001) Carbon reduction in the real world: how the UK will surpass its Kyoto obligations. Climate Policy, 1(3): 309-326.
• Eyre, N. (co-author) (2001) Resource productivity: making more with less. Performance and Innovation Unit, Cabinet Office, 2001.
• Eyre, N. (2000) Retail market liberalisation and energy efficiency: a golden age or a false dawn? In, MacKerron, G. and Pearson, P. (eds.) The International Energy Experience: Markets, Regulation and the Environment, Imperial College Press.
• Eyre, N. (1999) Carbon dioxide emissions trends from the United Kingdom. In, Goldemberg, J. and Reid, W. (eds.) Promoting Development while Limiting Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Trends and Baselines. United Nations Development Programme.
• Eyre, N. (lead author) (1999) Global Warming Damages. ExternE - Externalities of Energy, 8. European Commission.
• Eyre, N. (1998) A golden age or a false dawn? Energy efficiency in UK competitive energy markets. Energy Policy, 26(12): 963-972.
• Rabl, A. and Eyre, N. (1998) An estimate of regional and global O₃ damage from precursor NO_x and VOC emissions. Environment International, 24(8): 835-850.
• Eyre, N. (1998) Uncertainty in valuing the future impacts of climate change. In, Audus, H. (ed.) The Assessment of Climate Change Damages. IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme, Cheltenham.
• Eyre, N. (1997) Barriers to energy efficiency: more than just market failure. Energy and Environment, 8(1): 25-43.
• Eyre, N. (1997) External costs: what do they mean for energy policy? Energy Policy, 23(1): 85-95.
• Eyre, N.J., Ozdemiroglu, E., Pearce, D.W. and Steele, P. (1997) Fuel and location effects on the damage costs of transport emissions. Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, 21(1): 5-24.
• Eyre, N. (1996) Meeting environmental objectives in liberalised energy markets. In, Corry, D., Hewett, C. and Tindale, S. (eds.) Energy '98 - Competing for Power. IPPR.
• Holland, M.R., Eyre, N. and Downing, T.E. (1996) Assessment of the costs of global warming on a full fuel cycle basis. Energy Conversion and Management, 37(6-8): 819-824.
• Eyre, N. (main contributor) (1995) Externalities of Energy. Volume 1 - Summary. European Commission DGXII, EUR 16520 EN, 1995.
• Eyre, N. (main contributor) (1995) Externalities of Energy. Volume 2 - Methodology. European Commission DGXII, EUR 16521 EN, 1995.
• Eyre, N. (main contributor) (1995) Externalities of Energy. Volume 3 - Coal and Lignite. European Commission DGXII, EUR 16522 EN, 1995.
• Eyre, N. (1995) Comparison of environmental impacts of electricity from different sources. Nuclear Energy, 32 (5): 321-326.
• Eyre, N. (with Currie, W.M. et al) (1989) Options for mitigating the greenhouse effect. A presentation to the Prime Minister's Seminar on Climate Change, 26th April 1989. ETSU R-54, 1989.

Recent Invited Presentations

• The economic context of low carbon housing refurbishment. Invited presentation to Oxfordshire Sustainable Consumption conference, Oxford, 10th December 2010.
• UK Energy 2050: the Transition to a Secure Low Carbon Energy System for the UK. Keynote presentation to the Environment Agency Annual Conference, London, November 2010.
• Personal Carbon Trading. Invited seminar to Environment Agency, January 2010.
• Energy Demand in Buildings and Transport. Conservative Party Energy spokespeople, January 2010.
• UK Energy Efficiency Policy. China-EU CDM Facilitation Group, November, 2009.
• The UK Energy Research Landscape. International Energy Agency. Energy Conservation in Building and Community Systems Meeting, November, 2009.
• Energy efficiency and energy demand perspectives. BIEE Conference "Sustainable Energy - the next Crisis?", September, 2009.
• The impact of lifestyle and social change on the UK energy system. RESOLVE conference on "Sustainable lives? The challenges of low-carbon living in a changing economic climate". June, 2009.
• The impact of lifestyle and social change on the UK energy system in 2050. EdF Workshop - Le printemps de la recherche. Paris, June 2009.
• Energy: Some international and national perspectives. Oxford Energy Futures Conference, June 2009.
• Low Carbon Technology: The Demand Side and Energy Efficiency. Imperial College, April 2009.
• A Low Carbon Future: Challenges for the Energy System. Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment seminar. University of Bath. March, 2009
• Trading "Negawatts": Markets in energy efficiency Oxford Institute of Energy Studies Seminar. February 2009
• Energy Efficiency and Buildings. Chevening Fellowship Programme on "The Economics of Energy". Birmingham, January 2009.
• Setting the context: policy. ERP/ RAE/ ETI Heat Workshop. London, January 2009.
• UK policy to promote energy efficiency and emissions reductions. Shanghai SMDRC, November 2008.

Parliamentary Committee Oral Evidence

• Environmental Audit Committee Inquiry on Personal Carbon Allowances, 17th July 2007.
• Environment Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee Inquiry on "Climate Change - The Citizen's Agenda, 25th October 2006.
• Environmental Audit Committee Pre-Budget Report Inquiry, 1st February 2006.
• Environmental Audit Committee Inquiry "Keeping the Lights On: Nuclear, Renewables and Climate Change", 26th October 2005.
• Environment Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee Inquiry on "Climate Change: Looking Forward", 23rd February 2005.
• House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology Inquiry on "Energy Efficiency", seminar 19th October and hearing 8th December 2004.
• Environmental Audit Committee Inquiry on "Fiscal Instruments and Energy Policy", 4th February 2004 and 19th May 2004.
• Trade and Industry Select Committee Inquiry on "Energy Security", 4th December 2001.
• Trade and Industry Select Committee Inquiry on "The Climate Change Levy", 6th July 1999.
• Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution Inquiry into Energy. 8th April 1999.
• Environment Select Committee Inquiry on "Climate Change", 24th March 1999.
• Environmental Audit Committee Inquiry on "Energy Efficiency", 20th January 1999.