Global Energy Leader at Arup joins Healthy Cities

We are delighted that Arup's Director and Global Leader Energy Systems, Alan Thomson, will be speaking at our 'Healthy Cities' forum on 30th January 2019. He joins Dr Fiona Twycross, Chief Resilience Officer from the GLA and Patrick Allcorn, Local Energy Leader from the UK Government department BEIS.

In our energy debate this week, we will be asking the vital question - how we can power cities sustainably? Arup states that from 'always-on buildings to electric vehicles, cities require a smarter, whole-systems thinking, approach to energy generation, storage and use...It means addressing local governance issues, embracing the digital era, considering lower carbon sources like hydrogen and using alternative funding options in order to provide sustainable and affordable infrastructure that powers our city lives'.

Alan leads the global Energy Systems business stream at Arup, working closely with colleagues around the world to deliver complex integrated energy solutions spanning supply, network and demand applications. Delivering successful high value outcomes requires integrated commercial, behavioral and technical solutions; with this in mind Alan links together Arup exponents of energy economics, behavioural psychology, engineering and digitalization from around world.

He is particularly engaged in emerging energy vectors such as hydrogen, as well as the integration of energy into the broader built environment, particularly exploring the benefits and addressable challenges emerging when historically siloed systems are drawn together. He works on the management of legacy assets, including nuclear, coal, oil & gas decommissioning, recognizing that their careful transition has a significant part to play in the delivery of societally responsible, resilient, affordable and environmentally conscious energy solutions. Alan is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, London. .