Ian Fells
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Ian Fells is a paid consultant to the nuclear industry, who has been consistently pro-nuclear. He is the principle consultant to Fells Associates and also a fellow at The Royal Academy of Engineering. He was the president of The Institute of Energy for 1978-79. From 1987 to 1998 he was a science advisor to The World Energy Council. He is an associate at Incoteco, a company run by Hugh Sharman who is routinely used by the anti-windfarm organisation Country Guardian. Since 1975 he has been a Professor of Energy Conversion at the University of Newcastle, which also uses Fells Associates for PR services.
From 2003 until September 2005 Fells was the chairman of the New and Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC) in Blyth. [1]
Contents
Views on Nuclear Energy
A typical quote from Fells’ is: “Nuclear energy is one of the safest, cheapest, cleanest and most reliable ways of generating electricity but it has been demonised by the press," he says. "The Government is phasing it out even though its adoption would allow us to meet our carbon dioxide targets. Frankly, politicians don't think that there are votes in nuclear power -but the public isn't as daft as they think. Sixty per cent of us are perfectly happy to have nuclear power stations." [A. Ahuja (2004) "The Energy Drainers - As Talk Of A Power Crisis Grows, Anjana Ahuja Is Impressed By A "Green" Home Gadget Running Costs", The Times, 15 July, p14]
Fells was one of the speakers at a conference on wind energy in Scotland in July 2004: “There is no doubt that we need all the carbon dioxide free electricity we can get but predicating this almost entirely on wind when there are other, less obtrusive technologies seems simplistic, stubborn and perverse" he said. "If we are even to approach the 20% reduction in CO2, which the government is dedicated to, and a 60% reduction by 2050, refusing to include nuclear power in the mechanism seems inexplicable unless some sort of political correctness is responsible for this decision. Things may change however, according to a recent statement by the Prime Minister. What is require [sic] is “CLEAN�, carbon dioxide free, energy and that means as much renewable and nuclear energy as we can muster". [2]
Nuclear Industry Links
Whilst he does not appear to be a member of SONE or BNES, he will go and speak to these groups. He addressed a British Nuclear Industry Forum meeting in 1996/7. He spoke at the Nuclear Congress 2000[3], and the BNIF fringe meeting at Labour’s party conference in 2001 and finished “by arguing that nuclear energy should be part of Britain’s future energy strategy�. [4]Also that year he spoke to the Western Branch of the British Nuclear Energy Society[5], and wrote in The Nuclear Engineer - the journal of the Institution of Nuclear Engineers [6]. In 2002 Fells addressed the Special Interest Group on Waste Management & Decommissioning group of British Nuclear Energy Society in a joint meeting with Imech. [7] [T. Dalyell (1997) “Thistle Diary: Hot Tips In A Climate Of Fear�, New Scientist, 11 January]
In April 2003 he addressed SONE[8]. This was reported in their newsletter: “Worse still, Professor Ian Fells, at a well-attended meeting of members at Sellafield in April, revealed that the DTI had ignored its own market model in reaching the conclusion that nuclear was uneconomic. That model showed that renewables could, in certain circumstances, be 250% more costly than nuclear. At the same meeting, Keith Parker, a member of SONE’s committee, disclosed that the nuclear industry had made a big effort to provide a substantial chapter for the EWP on what needed to be done to preserve the nuclear option but this had been reduced to two paragraphs.[SONE Newsletter - No. 63 - October 2003]
He is obviously a supporter of Bernard Ingham too, with a professional relationship that dates back to 1988. In February 88, the FT reported “Bernard Ingham, who has been Margaret Thatcher's Press Secretary almost since she became Prime Minister, is being tempted to leave and take up a new post as an academic. The offer comes from the University of Newcastle which is seeking to establish a new Centre for Government Communications and has already raised about half the 400,000 Pounds (pds) or so required to finance the first five years. Ingham is one of three candidates, though clearly the preferred one, to direct it. He is understood to have shown considerable enthusiasm and to have discussed the matter with the Prime Minister who says that she wants him to stay. The key figures behind the project are Hugh Berrington and Ian Fells, professors of politics and energy studies respectively.� [The Financial Times (1998) Faithful Bernard, 2 February, p16]
It does not seem that the venture came off. However since then he has written letters to the Times in support of Ingham in 1999: “It seems to me that the way ahead must lie with "clean energy", which is a mix of renewable and nuclear energy. There is a synergy between them which is becoming apparent� [I. Fells (1999) "Letter to the Times", 10 February]. In 2000 he wrote: “The recent announcement of the closure of Bradwell nuclear power station in two years' time (report, Business, December 2) highlights the complaint made by Sir Bernard Ingham in his letter (December 21) and presents a dilemma to the Government �[I. Fells (2000) "Letter to the Times", 7 January]
The support from Ingham is reciprocated: In response to Regen SW’s request to come and speak, Bernard Ingham declined due to prior engagements but wrote:
“If you want facts – which you most certainly will not get from Juniper – then Professor Lovelock, who lives near Launceston, would be an admirable speaker. So might Professor Michael Laughton of Imperial College. Professor Ian Fells is another who comes to mind. Alternatively, you might find Professor David Bellamy as [sic] man who would usefully inject some common sense into the renewables debate. If you have any problems with finding a speaker, you might get in touch with Angela Kelly.�[B. Ingham (2003) "Letter to Matthew Spencer", 11 August]
Fells also has links to the political right. He wrote a briefing paper for the Adam Smith Institute, called a Cloudy Energy Future in February 2003; in March 2004 the ASI held an International Energy Symposium at which Fells spoke. The previous month Narec and the Adam Smith Institute held a joint conference called The Challenge of Developing the UK’s Offshore Wind.
Cash for Access
In October 2005, The Insight team of the Sunday Times newspaper reported how Ian Fells was "offering access to ministers in return for cash and has helped two business associates with criminal convictions meet senior Whitehall officials." [9]
The article continued: "An investigation by The Sunday Times has found that Professor Ian Fells, one of Britain’s foremost academic experts on energy and an adviser to the cabinet, is trading on his connections to help clients lobby government. Last week Fells negotiated a fee of £600 to broker a meeting between a reporter, posing as a businessman, and a senior civil servant. Fells said the official was writing the forthcoming energy white paper .... During our investigation Fells said he could arrange meetings with ministers and boasted about his contacts. He said: 'I know lots of people within the DTI [Department for Trade and Industry], yes, starting from Alan Johnson [the trade secretary], downwards to Mr [Malcolm] Wicks, the current energy minister'."
The Sunday Times sent on to note that the "disclosures will prompt fresh concerns about how big business can buy privileged access to government using “consultants� such as Fells".
The article is subject to a legal complaint by Fells.
Associated with Fraudsters and Convicted Criminals
The Sunday Times learnt that Fells also put a green energy company in touch with government officials to seek grants. It is run by a serial fraudster and a fellow convicted criminal. Fells is a director of their company.
Companies are mounting a huge lobbying exercise to get the government to boost tax breaks and to secure subsidies for “green� energy projects as Britain attempts to meet its environmental targets.
Fells, a paid adviser to parliamentary select committees, was made a CBE by Labour. He says he advises cabinet committees, officials in the trade department and is the paid chairman of an energy quango subsidised by taxpayers.
Fells, an emeritus professor of energy conversion at Newcastle University who has appeared on numerous television science programmes including QED and Young Scientist of the Year, runs a consultancy called Fells Associates. It boasts major clients such as British Nuclear Fuels, BP and Rolls-Royce.
The fee for his services is £1,200 a day “plus Vat� for a one-off job paid direct into his company’s account or £800 a day if he provides an “ongoing� consultancy.
An undercover reporter approached Fells last week posing as a businessman acting on behalf of an American client who wanted to invest in renewable energy projects.
When he was told the client wished to lobby government, he said: “As to the question of trying to persuade the government to take a particular line and all the rest of it, wearing my Fells Associates hat, I’d be quite happy to talk to them about that.�
The next day the reporter rang again to ask if he would arrange a meeting with the energy minister and his team. Fells came back to say Peter Waller, the head of the energy industries and technologies unit of the DTI, had agreed to a meeting in principle.
Waller, according to Fells, is in charge of rewriting the 2003 energy white paper, a crucial document for energy companies seeking subsidies.
Fells said our first meeting would be with officials: “You won’t get before the minister in the first meeting. To be honest, from your client’s point of view, this chap is probably more important than the minister.�
The Sunday Times began the investigation after uncovering angry creditors of another of Fells’s clients, a company called Pure Energy and Power plc. It was set up to take advantage of the lucrative government subsidies and tax breaks for green energy schemes.
The company’s chairman is Ronald Nathan, a struck-off solicitor who has been jailed three times for fraud. He met his fellow director John Rees in prison. Although Nathan is disqualified as a director, he has reinvented himself as Dr Stephen Nathan and changed his birth date to set up the company fraudulently.
As the head of the Pure Energy advisory board, Fells helped give the company legitimacy by putting its directors in touch with senior government officials. He accepted their offer to become a director of its spin-off company Pure Electricity, even though by then several of their cheques for his “consultancy work� had bounced.
Our undercover reporter said his fictional clients were interested in investing in the Pure companies. Fells happily endorsed the Pure companies and their directors, whom he described as “good chaps�.
He described his role in the company: “I get involved when they need some technical advice or when they need a minister talking to or somebody like that, which I can do without any difficulty . . . I have put them in touch with various government people, so you could say, certainly, that they are in dialogue with government.�
When confronted on Friday, Fells said: “I have, when appropriate, advised potential investors who to contact at DTI. I have never been paid to lobby.�
Related Links
- Ian Fells Biography and Publications, Fells Associates (accessed January 29, 2006)
