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Mr Terry Cook

Profile summary

  • Visiting Informal Academic
  • Visiting Fellow
  • Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
  • School of Engineering & Innovation
  • terry.cook
  • terry.cook@open.ac.uk

Professional biography

I am a Visiting Research Fellow with the Open University School of Engineering & Innovation, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and a Research Associate with Innogen Institute for Innovation Generation, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh. I work as an international development expert and have 25 years’ experience working on sustainable energy projects in Sub Saharan Africa and in transitional economies of the Former Soviet Union.

I began working in the renewable energy sector in 1990 as a Research & Development contractor for the Energy Technology Support Unit (ETSU) of the UK Department of Energy. From 2003 I worked on a wide range of energy infrastructure programmes for EU Pre - Accession assistance in areas of energy transition in particular for the UK DTI Former Soviet Union Nuclear Legacy Programme “Social and Economic Consequences of Nuclear Power Plant Closure in the Former Soviet Union”.

Between 2013 and 2018 I worked for a European Commission project as a Key Expert (Renewables) for the EU Development & Co-operation Europe Aid - Sustainable Energy for All Technical Assistance Facility for East & Southern Africa project (€15M) supervising EU Aid missions in 24 countries.

I am also experienced in the evaluation of donor projects, most recently as Quality Assurance Lead for the UK Department for International Development (DFID) Independent Review of the DFID East Africa Geothermal Energy Programme (2018) and Assignment Leader for the EU in Afghanistan preparing a diagnostic study for EU Investments in the Renewable Energy Sector in partnership with the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (2019).  

Research interests

My newly published book co-authored with Professor David Elliott - “Renewable Energy from Europe to Africa”- published by international academic publisher Palgrave Macmillan

looks at the problems encountered when implementing sustainable energy in countries where there is little or no experience with renewables. The book is based in part on personal experience as a former European Commission “insider” and extensive fieldwork in Sub Saharan Africa.

One area of interest  that has arisen from this work and the focus of the STEM visiting fellowship is the potential of an African distance teaching project, exploring options for collaboration with “Power for All”, backed by the Schneider Electric Foundation & The Rockefeller Foundation. The work will link with Professor David Elliott's teaching experience at the OU and the work of Dr. Stephen Peake on Sustainable Energy Investments following the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

I was also involved with the OU-led research project in Kenya  funded by EPSRC-DFID, (£1.25M) Using Low-Cost Energy-Efficient Technologies to Tackle Poverty. The research explored how such products could have impact in healthcare facilities, farms, and households. http://www.open.ac.uk/ikd/research-focus/using-low-cost-energy-efficient-appliances-tackle-poverty

 

 

Publications

Authored Books

‘Renewable Energy: from Europe to Africa’, published by Palgrave Macmillan April 2018. Cook, T., and Elliott (https://www.palgrave.com/gb/book/9783319747866#)

Chapters in Books

“New Europe - New Energy: Sustainable Energy in an Expanded EU” Terence Cook and David Elliott in Shmelev S. E. (Editor) “Sustainability Analysis: An Interdisciplinary Approach”. Published by Palgrave Macmillan, Feb 2012

Conference Papers

Invited speaker World Renewable Energy Congress - WREC - 2018 London, UK: ‘Renewable Energy in Africa: changing support systems’

Chair Policy Sessions 10th World Renewable Energy Congress, Glasgow, Scotland 2008,

Academic Journal Papers

•'Energy Transformations in Central and Eastern Europe' Invited Paper. World Renewable Energy Congress, Glasgow 2008. Cook. T, Elliott. D Open University, UK,

• ‘New Europe-New Energy: Networking for Sustainable Energy Future’ International Journal of Ecological Economics & Statistics Vol. 4, No. W06, Winter 2006, Cook. T, Elliott D.

• ‘Symbolic Power: the future of nuclear energy in Lithuania' Science as Culture, Vol.13, No.3, Sept. 2004 pp 373-400

Media

Producer TV Programme for Sky Television “Green Streets” series (Broadcast 02.06.2002) 

Publications

New Europe-New Energy: sustainable energy in the expanded EU (2012-01-27)
Elliott, David and Cook, Terry
In: Shmelev, Stanislav and Shmeleva, Irina eds. Sustainability Analysis: An Interdisciplinary Approach (pp. 254-278)
ISBN : 978-0-230-35524-8 | Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan | Published : Houndmills