Meet the team
The Team
Neil Harris
Chief Executive/Director
Neil is a Fellow of Institute of Structural Engineers and a specialist in the construction and operations of wind power projects. He has been active in the UK renewables industry since its inception. From founding Oceans Engineering in 1987 (subsequently sold to Scott Wilson), he has advised on wind projects ranging in size from single turbines up to hundreds of MWs, both in the UK and abroad. Neil has advised the DTI on wind turbine towers and foundations and holds the patents for a number of specialist structural solutions.
Matt Partridge
Development Director
Matt has been involved in the UK wind energy development sector since graduating from the University of Southampton in 1994 (BSc Hons Geography). Following graduation, Matt held a number of positions at National Wind Power (now npower-renewables) for over 9 years, until late 2003. Subsequently, Matt was Director of Gamesa Energy UK until May 2007, followed by 2½ years at Ecotricity where he held the position of Head of Strategic Wind Development. Matt has also been an elected member of the Board of BWEA since early 2007.
Bob Morgan
Development Manager
Since obtaining a degree in Valuation & Estate Management, Bob has managed an extensive range of development projects including hotels, public houses, restaurants, betting shops, telecommunication towers and wind power projects. His extensive project management experience has been gained through undertaking 19 major telecommunication rollouts in 12 countries within the UK, Europe, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Steve Allen
Development Manager
Since graduating from Sheffield Hallam University in 1996 with a degree in Mineral Estate Management, Steve has developed a career as an Environmental Surveyor. He has worked on wide range of development and acquisition projects in the minerals and waste industry and the telecommunications industry. In recent years Steve has led some high profile wind energy development project with a strong focus on new site acquisition and environmental planning issues.
Simon Pipkin
Project Developer
After graduating from Southampton University with a BSc in Geography in 2002, Simon has accrued 5 years experience in the wind industry. Initially involved with finding new sites and assessing their viability, in recent years he has led many large wind projects throughout the UK. Managing a portfolio of several hundred MWs his main focus has been on site acquisition and planning issues.
Matt Olley
Project Developer
Matt graduated with a BA(Hons) degree in Town & Country Planning in 1999 and completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Town Planning in 2000, both from Coventry University. Matt became a Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) in July 2002 and has 10 years of planning experience including time at the Planning Inspectorate, in planning consultancy and latterly working in the residential development sector leading major residential and mixed-use development projects.
Sophie Hartfield
Project Developer
Sophie graduated from the University of Gloucestershire in 2006, where she studied Geography and Environmental Management. She is an associate member of the Institute for Environmental Management and Assessment. Sophie has experience in energy trading, sustainable biofuels and more recently the wind industry. Sophie started her career in energy trading, working within coal and power settlement. She then worked on sustainable biomass as representative for the British Standards Institute in Europe. Sophie has also worked in the wind industry for 18 months. She has handled many sites in various stages of the planning process, her particular interests are community liaison and engagement.
Tristan Mackie
Project Liaison Officer
Tristan has over 15 years of experience in taking potential projects through the development process. He has advised a number of prestigious organisations such as The Crown Estates, The National Trust, and The Ministry of Defence. He is widely known within the UK wind industry, and has been a champion of smaller developments for many years.
John Mills
Head of Construction Management
John has worked as a Quantity Surveyor in the Construction Industry for over 30 years in the UK and overseas, he was a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and has worked extensively in the renewable's sector since the early 90's. John has project managed and run the construction of many MW's of wind projects across Europe.
If you would like to contact one of the team please call us on 01872 226930 or email info@clpwindprojects.co.uk
Jim Wood
Development Manager
Jim is a Chartered Landscape Architect (BSc (Hons) MLA, MLI) and has specialised in the design, development and assessment of wind farms since 2000. Jim was a Director of landscape consultancy Lovejoy and subsequently Capita Lovejoy. He has been involved in the development, assessment and consenting of a number of the largest wind farms in the UK, and has worked extensively at all stages of wind farm development and particularly the co-ordination of design and project management of Environmental Impact Assessment.
Steve Higman
Head of Operating Projects
Following a career in the Royal Air Force as an Airframe & Engines technician, Steve joined B9 Energy O&M Ltd, the biggest independent operation and maintenance company in the UK, and gained extensive technical knowledge of the operation of wind turbines in a number of roles. From 2007 to 2010 he was the E.ON Account Manager and then became B9 Regional Manager for England & Wales overseeing the operation and maintenance of many different turbine types for a number of customers.
Terry Warr
Electrical Engineer
Terry is a recognized specialist in the management, engineering, design, construction & commissioning of generation, transmission & distribution electrical projects with particular expertise in the associated protection & control schemes. Terry has been actively involved with the Wind industry for well over a decade and is now responsible for all electrical power grid connections and the engineering, design, construction & commissioning elements of the windfarm internal electrical power infrastructures.
Andrew Penfold
Assistant Construction Manager
Andrew has a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and started his career as a site engineer quickly progressing to project engineer, managing turnkey, construction, utilities and power projects for the US Department of Defence. Andrew is experienced in the transportation and installation of heavy plant equipment for conventional power generation and distribution, and has gained experience in the renewable energy sector through working on some of the UK largest offshore wind farms currently under construction.
The Company
In a nutshell, The Cornwall Light & Power Company Ltd. ('CLP') is a UK company which is set up to build, own, and operate renewable energy plant in the UK, typically wind farms. CLP was originally created over a decade ago to build and operate one of the first wind farms in the country, which has been successfully running ever since. In June 2005, it was bought from its original owners by a specialist investment company: Renewable Energy Generation Ltd., or 'REG'.
REG is a new business, formed in May 2005, with a single purpose: to invest in renewable energy projects. The first REG investment was CLP, which owns Goonhilly Downs wind farm, a 12 year old 5.6MW project. REG is now investing in and building further UK wind projects through CLP. REG is unusual in a number of respects: it is surrounded with a huge amount of expertise; it can only invest in renewable energy; and above all it has shareholders drawn from some of the world's largest financial institutions. Renewable Energy has a great future, but it needs capital investment if it is to continue to promote generation of green renewable electricity. REG has been created to help that investment process, and participates in the UK through CLP.
The directors of CLP are Neil Harris, Andrew Whalley, Dave Crockford and Matt Partridge. Neil is the CEO of CLP. Andrew is a very experienced manager of specialist funds that invest in power companies. Dave joined REG from Duchy Originals Limited where he worked as Chief Financial Officer. David brings with him wide international experience of financial management, control, investment appraisal and capital structures. Matt is the 4th director and has been involved in the UK wind energy development sector for over 15 years.