Good morning from the Barbican.

Today we hold our fifth conference – Energy Live 2016 –  I can’t believe that five years have passed since the first and so much has changed in the energy landscape since 2012. A new government, the end of a dedicated energy department, a new PM and of course our imminent departure from the EU.

Obviously Brexit is the theme of today’s conference and it is a real shame that despite numerous requests, NOT one of our ministers from the combined world of energy and business can be bothered to turn up at the biggest conference of business energy end users!

Perhaps it shows that BEIS has nothing to say as it is still trying to work out what it is doing. Or they don’t consider the energy world as important as chatting to the big bosses of corporate giants, hey ho.

We shall ask the questions in any case of the great speakers and panelists we have attending. The conference is designed to provoke thought and debate and we have three great sessions dedicated to that, covering politics, supply and networks and of course in light of Hinkley, new nuclear.

But it is about learning too and as ever thanks to our amazing friends out there, we bring you a world of expertise and seminars, 16 in total. We are covering everything from procurement, markets and future planning to energy efficiency, on-site generation and policy. There’s lots more besides.

We also have a chance to speed date with leading energy experts and a dedicated ‘flexible power zone’ exploring the art of demand side response.

I’m also delighted we will once again have sessions for the younger generation – we called them Energy Live Next – to inspire the bright minds out there to follow a career in this wonderful sector.

And of course our events are known for the best networking in the sector and that is what it’s all about – communication.

We hope the 700 plus who attend have a great day and if you can’t make it, do follow our content on twitter and periscope to see what’s happening, of course we will provide filmed footage and reports in the coming days.

We are entering a great new phase of energy.

The next five years will no doubt be even more interesting and changeable as we exit the EU and see the shift towards a world without coal power and the building of new nuclear. The innovation in smart technology and the proliferation of electric transport.

Today’s conference is about informing and educating and we will continue to be at the forefront of innovation in the sector, as we need to change too.

After all if energy keeps moving, shouldn’t we?

Many thanks to our wonderful sponsors, without whom we couldn’t bring you all this content.

I really hope you enjoy the day. And if you are coming tweet us using #EL2016!