Blog: Stepping into the energy world…

It’s been over a year since I stepped into the world of energy and here I am still writing about it. Am I surprised, maybe but grateful too. It started […]

It’s been over a year since I stepped into the world of energy and here I am still writing about it.

Am I surprised, maybe but grateful too. It started off chaotically and I was unsure if I would be able to catch up with what had been going on.

The Energy Bill, the EMR, CfDs and ROCs – way too many acronyms to Feed-in To (FiT) my brain. The different sectors, oil, gas, renewables, power, transport. The MPs and CEOs, the pressure groups and campaigners, academics and analysts.  It wasn’t easy explaining what “energy stuff” I was writing about initially.

Attending conferences and interviewing MPs, energy managers and people who knew all about the sector was daunting. It was like being  a little goldfish in a sea full of sharks, trying to carefully tread around unfamiliar territory.

Walking into it with no knowledge about the sector, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I used to feel all eyes were on me when I walked into a conference hall dominated by middle-aged men. The first ever one I went to, I thought everyone looked at me thinking, “Who is this GIRL and what is SHE doing here?”

And sadly enough, I was one of those who thought this is a boring sector just made for men – with women (or younger girls) only seen at the reception desk welcoming everyone in or promoting brands at events.

I thought coming from a country like Nepal, where the energy industry isn’t the career option chosen by college or university graduates to get into, might have prejudiced my thoughts along those lines but sadly the same view still exists here. Many do think energy is boring.

But they are wrong and my view has changed too.

It has taken a while to learn about the sector and be familiar with the various consultations the Government comes up with – with their fickle minds, it is difficult to keep up at times. Finally last month the Energy Bill was published trying its best to strike a balance between keeping the lights on whilst looking after the environment. But the story is not complete, it has been a long wait and it will be an even longer one till more decisions are made and until the Bill is passed as law. More for me to learn, more to digest.

And although it may be a while till the Ministers make their minds up about the exact energy future we can expect,  I am glad to say that I can now – without hesitation – explain to my family and friends why the Energy Bill is important, why they need to be more energy efficient and why what I write about for a living matters.

And as dramatic as that may sound, there’s no better way to put it. With a great mentor and an amazing team, I’ve had the best eight months. Energy, I’m full of it now!

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