Dan Lewis

Credentials

Graduated in 1994 in "Modern Languages and History."[1]

Background

Dan Lewis is the Chief Executive of the Economic Policy Center, a UK economic think tank with a mission to "promote high quality research and debate across all areas of economics in a free democratic society." Lewis has also been the Energy Policy Advisor for the Institute of Directors where he "published, edited, broadcasted and commissioned many papers on energy matters." he is the founder and Chief Executive of Future Energy Strategies, an energy reporting company that reports to provide "strategic insight into the future shape of the energy industry in Britain and across the European market."[2]

Prior to September 2009, Lewis was the Research Director of the Economic Research Council for six years. He was also the founder of Alternative Energy Investor, a "global resource bank" that existed from 2006 to 2009. He is also Director and owner of UKCrimeStats, "the UK's leading independent crime data platform."

Lewis is also a journalist and broadcaster, and has contributed articles to a number of media outlets including Wall Street Journal, Al-Jazeera, Sky News, BBC Radio, The Daily Telegraph and World Finance Magazine. He is a notable proponent of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking in the UK. [1], [3]

Stance on Climate Change

"[T]he risks of electricity blackouts and gas shortages from the middle of the next decade are a lot more tangible and closer in time than whatever will happen to the climate."[4]

Key Quotes

"There really is quite staggering ignorance about the huge scale, environmental and economic benefits of shale gas in the UK – were we to go ahead and use it."[5]

"Britain needs to re-order energy policy putting energy security first, affordability second and environmentally clean energy third."[1]

Key Deeds

November 30 - December 1, 2012

Dan Lewis was a speaker (PDF) at the Eighth International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC-8)/Fifth International Conference on Climate and Energy (ICCE-5) sponsored by both the Heartland Institute and the European Institute for Climate and Energy (EIKE). Lewis's speech is titled "Peak Oil, Peak Gas? Do we need an Alternative Energy Supply?"[6]

November 2, 2012

Lewis is the co-author of a report, titled "Britain's shale gas potential" (PDF) that advocates the development of shale gas in the UK. He authored the report for the Institute of Directors where he is Energy Policy Advisor. Lewis also appeared on Sky TV news where he made the case for exploiting UK shale gas reserves. [5]

The report makes a number of broad conclusions about hydraulic fracturing, including that it is generally safe, that "Problems are generally due to poor standards, rather than the hydraulic fracturing process itself" that "Environmental issues are generally little different from those of conventional hydrocarbon extraction," and that "Earthquakes caused by hydraulic fracturing are no larger than those that have been caused by coal mining for years."

According to the report, "Although there have been problems at a small number of wells, these are generally due to poor practice, rather than the nature of the fracking process itself. The UK, of course, has the opportunity to learn from mistakes made in the US." And, in conclusion, "Hydraulic fracturing, as this chapter has shown, is also not without risk. But as the expert reports have made clear, the risks can be managed."

January 20, 2011

Dan Lewis organized a seminar under the aegis of Future Energy Strategies to discuss "Shale Gas in Europe." The event featured a number of shale gas industry experts, including John Buggenhagen, Vice President of Exploration at San Leon Energy described as a "proven 'oil finder'" in North America and Europe. Other speakers included Leigh Bolton, the Founding Principal and Manager Director of Holmwood Consulting, a "LNG, Natural Gas, Oil and broader Energy consultancy," and Nick Grealy, the publisher of Not Hot Air, described as "the world's leading unconventional gas blog."[7]

December, 2009

Dan Lewis published a report for the Economic Policy Center titled "Securing Our Energy Future: Why and How It Must be Done" (PDF). The report opposes carbon taxes and carbon trading programs. It also offers the following recommendations (Emphasis added):

Close down a large range of energy policy quangos mostly created in the last 10 years
Wind down as quickly as possible all existing government-funded R&D programmes
Abolish the Climate Change and Carbon Capture Levies
After a positive confrontation with the EU, keep coal-fired stations open beyond 2015 and renegotiate the renewables target along longer-term lines to include other clean and secure energy technologies
Set a limit to be reviewed annually on how much intermittent power can safely be integrated into the National Grid and the Distribution Network
Keep the Infrastructure Planning Commission in place
Postpone the rollout of smart meters - to be reviewed again in 2020

The report concludes that "For too long, received opinion has fretted about the UK’s carbon footprint without giving a moment’s thought to its energy security footprint. This is no longer acceptable."

Affiliations

Economic Policy Center — Chief Executive and Founder.
Future Energy Strategies— Founder and Chief Executive.
Economic Research Council— Research Director (2003-2009).
Institute of Directors— Energy Policy Advisor.
Alternative Energy Investor (no longer operating as same entity) — Founder.
UKCrimeStats— Director and owner.

Publications

Dan Lewis appears to have published a number of articles in crime prevention. His books have have included: Recharging The Nation - The Challenge and Cost of Renewable Electricity Generation (2003), The Essential Guide to British Quangos 2005, The Larceny of the Lottery (2007, CPS with Ruth Lea), The Digest of Energy Statistics 2008 and The Essential Guide to EU Quangos 2009.

He has also edited the following publications: Electrifying Britain - forward with Coal, Gas or Nuclear? (2005, ERC, Lodge, Cragg, Grimston), The New Economics of EnergySecurity (2006, ERC, Ingham, Robinson, Marshall), Cost-Effective Defence (2006, ERC, Page), Creative Destruction in the Music Industry - The Way Ahead (2006, ERC, Dodge), Cracks in the Foundations? A Review of the Role and Functions of the Bank of England after Ten Years of Operational Independence (2007, ERC, Smith), Playing with Monetary Fire (2007, ERC, Congdon), New Nuclear Build in the UK - The Criteria for Delivery (2008, ERC,Hawkins), The Digest of Energy Statistics 2008 (2008, ERC, Hawkins, Lewis), The Essential Guide to EU Quangos 2009 (2009, ERC, Lewis, Ruffle) and Aqua Britannia! How UK Water plc can maintain high investment levels within acceptable pricing limits and raise its profile overseas (2009, ERC, Hawkins).