Energy

Accelerating progress towards a resilient and integrated clean energy system through cutting-edge innovation, inclusive governance and meaningful stakeholder engagement.

The Energy theme is creating new critical mass to drive the transition to a clean, resilient and equitable energy future at the unprecedented speed and scale demanded by the climate crisis. We are reimagining an integrated system that combines cutting-edge technologies with measures to lower energy demand, build secure and flexible power systems, and deliver governance frameworks that are underpinned by fairness and accountability. We will embed equity and responsibility at the heart of our activities and aim to ensure that new energy pathways address social and environmental sustainability while supporting innovation. 

Our expertise spans the full spectrum of technical energy solutions: from geothermal, hydrogen, nuclear and offshore renewables to storage, smart electricity networks and advanced digital technologies. Yet the 21st century transformation is not only about energy supply — it is equally about demand, infrastructure and the social systems that shape how energy is produced, distributed and consumed. By combining technical innovation with governance, justice and behavioural change, we will deliver co-developed, scalable solutions. Working with industry, public bodies and communities, we will accelerate progress from pilot projects to real-world impact, securing an energy system that is innovative, inclusive and resilient for generations to come. 

Alice Larkin

Theme Lead

Prof Alice Larkin

 

Alice trained as an astrophysicist at the University of Leeds, did her PhD in climate modelling at Imperial College, then worked in science communication. She returned to academia in 2003 joining the interdisciplinary Tyndall Centre to research conflicts between climate change and aviation. In 2008 she was appointed as a lecturer to direct projects on international transport and food supply scenarios within a climate change context, and was Director of Tyndall Manchester between 2013 and 2016. In 2017 Alice became the Head of School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, and then from 2019 to 2023, was the Vice-Dean and Head of the newly formed School of Engineering. Alice has led numerous research projects, including the EPSRC funded High Seas project in 2010 and was the lead Manchester investigator on a large consortium project funded by the EPSRC entitled 'Shipping in Changing Climates'. She was also PI on a large EPSRC consortium project on the Water-Food-Energy Nexus, a Co-I on the UKERC project RACER and PI on a UKERC project on decarbonising shipping and aviation fuels. Her research interests continue to focus on the decarbonisation challenges surrounding aviation and shipping, and connections with carbon budgeting and the wider energy system more generally. In 2025, to celebrate 25 years of the Tyndall Centre, she was part of a team, including lead author Gaurav Gharde, that published 'Decarbonising the UK Revisited' reflecting on over two decades of UK energy scenarios, building on her and the wider team's seminal work on energy scenarios that was published in 2005.

Alice is a Professor of Climate Science & Energy Policy and part of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.

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